Category Archives: Local History

Dayton Sights: Wright Brothers Benches

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“It wasn’t luck that made them fly; it was hard work and common sense; they put their whole heart and soul and all their energy into an idea and they had the faith.” – John T. Daniels, who witnessed the first flights.

There are reportedly nine identical benches sculpted by David Evans Black, located all around the Dayton area. On the edge of the seat on the front, it reads, “Dedicated to the immortal spirit of Daytonians Orville and Wilbur Wright…” and continues on the back seat-edge with, “whose gift of powered flight lifted our world forever skyward.” The bench is designed to be reminiscent of the bench shown in the famous photograph of the Wright brothers’ first flight.

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Magee Park: J. Buckley

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Another urban legend from Ohio’s Sleepy Hollow.

As the urban legend goes, John (also sometimes listed as James) Buckley was a rich man living along the banks of Possum Run Creek (now Little Sugar Creek). One night, his cabin was broken into and he was decapitated as thieves tried to find his buried treasure, and his ghost still haunts the creek looking for his head.

Is this story true? Did this really happen?

Well, yes and no.

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Magee Park: The Woman and Her Baby

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Magee Park is a smallish park just off Little Sugarcreek Road in Bellbrook. Although it looks unassuming and quiet, it is smack dab in the middle of a city dubbed, “Ohio’s Sleepy Hollow.”

As the legend goes, in the late 1800s, around the 1880s, a young servant girl had an affair with her master, the mayor of Bellbrook. As these things go, she soon found herself pregnant. Once he discovered she was pregnant, he turned her away from his home, and refused to see her again. Desperate, the young girl turned to prostitution to feed herself and the baby growing inside her.

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Edwin C. Moses

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“Lots of people let it go by and never accomplish what they want. I just wanted to see what I could do.” – Edwin C. Moses

Edwin Corley Moses was born in 1955 in Dayton, Ohio. As the son of two educators, Edwin took academics seriously. In addition to being an excellent student, he was also a gifted athlete.

During high school, Edwin participated briefly in basketball and football, but soon turned to Track and Field. Edwin accepted an academic scholarship to Morehouse College, majoring in Physics and Industrial Engineering. Morehouse College did not have its own track, so Edwin practiced on nearby high school tracks. He competed mostly in 120-yard hurdles and the 440-yard dash. Edwin attributed his success at running to applying his knowledge of the mechanics of running and lots of stretching. He had a trademark technique, taking a consistent 13 steps between each hurdle instead of the usual 14, causing him to get ahead in the 2nd half of the race as his competitors changed their strides.

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Dayton Sights: Places of Worship

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“When I think of a place of worship, I think of a place where one can sit and be reminded of all the things that are important outside our individual lives. To express spirituality, the architect has to think of the original material of architecture, space and light.” – Richard Meier

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Trains & Trolleys

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The first street car line in Dayton was built by the Dayton Street Railway Company, which was chartered in 1869 with John V. Kreidler as the first superintendent.The line extended from the land of W.P. Huffman on East Third Street, to the land of H.S. Williams on West Third Street. One hour and 20 minutes was required to make the round trip from Western Avenue to Findlay Street.

DSR Trolley Train

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Andrew Walsh & Lost Dayton, Ohio

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Writer, Dayton Historian, Librarian…Andrew Walsh can add one more title to his resume: published author. In his book, Lost Dayton, Ohio, Andrew covers many historical Dayton structures lost to time and urban renewal and revitalization efforts.

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A transplant to Dayton in 2013 from Wisconsin, Andrew became interested in the historical architecture of Dayton as he viewed Dayton from his window at Dayton Towers. Although Andrew no longer lives there, his fascination continues.

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Adam Schantz, Jr.

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Adam Schantz, Jr. was born December 16, 1867 on River Street in Dayton, Ohio. Son of Adam Schantz, Sr. and Salome Schantz, he joined his father in the meat-packing industry at the age of twelve. Later on, he became the bookkeeper for the brewery run by his father and uncle. Once he turned twenty-one, he controlled almost all of his father’s interests.

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After Adam Sr. died, Adam Jr. became executor of the Schantz Estate. Adam Jr. was recognized as having made more changes to the Dayton skyline than anyone else. Ludlow Street was virtually rebuilt by him.

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Glen Helen: Inman Trail

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While there are SO many great things to see in Yellow Springs, we are focusing on a few of the better known places along the Inman Trailtrail map at the Glen Helen Nature Preserve. Inman Trail is a 1.1 mile hike, commonly hiked by couples, families, photographers, and their four-footed friends.

Pompey’s Pillar
A natural rock formation created from glaciers freezing and thawing, this large pile of rocks split from the cliff above and made its way slowly down to where it is now. Although some people have marred it with graffiti (seriously, people?) this formation is an awesome sight along the trail.

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