Category Archives: Local History

Farmersville Bottle Farm

Posted on by

“I would live by my wits while my brothers live by the sweat of their brows.”– Winter Zellar (Zero) Swartsel, Grandfather of Pop Art

Tired of the hard-working routine of Farmersville, Zero and a friend decided to bike first to New York City, head west, then travel the world, collecting items along the way. Later, his home in Farmersville and also his yard would be decorated extensively with these items. His twenty-two acre farm soon became a canvas for his art, using glass he collected from “wasteful” people.

106097_119061
Source: Remarkable Ohio

Continue reading →

Going Out With a Bang: My God, I’ve Shot Myself

Posted on by
Clement Vallandigham (July 29, 1820 – June 17, 1871)

It was going to be the biggest case of his life. Fifty year old Dayton Attorney Clement Vallandigham was to defend Thomas McGehan, who was charged with murder for a barroom brawl turned deadly in Hamilton, Ohio. Having been unable to find a jury un-swayed by newspaper reports in Hamilton, the trial moved to Lebanon.

Vallandigham and his partner, Daniel Haynes, formed a practice that had become “one of the best and ablest in the West”, with stories of Vallandigham making final pleas so persuasive that the jury was left in tears. Nobody researched more than he did, and he was adept at anticipating the rebuttal arguments of the opposing lawyers.

Continue reading →

More Interesting Dayton Facts

Posted on by
  • Susan Koerner Wright, mother of Wilbur and Orville, enjoyed making things for and with her children. Reportedly, her husband Milton could not hammer a nail straight, and she was the handy person in the family. She often made toys for the children, and even put together some small appliances to make her household chores easier.
  • In 1900, Dayton listed more inventions than any other city in the United States.
  • John Patterson could not stand Charles Kettering, and would often fire him from his company, NCR. Edward Deeds would always hire him back.
  • During rainy seasons, carriages would get stuck in the mud. To remedy this, huge logs were buried under the mud, lining Dayton streets in a “corduroy” fashion, preventing wagons and animals from sinking.

    • Continue reading →

Let’s Get Funky, Dayton!

Posted on by
Grand opening tonight!

Known as The Land of the Funk throughout the 70s and 80s, Dayton is opening The Funk Music Hall of Fame and Exhibition Center. Its mission is to house and maintain Funk music memorabilia to educate the public about the history of Funk.

Continue reading →

Dayton Sights: Ghost Signs

Posted on by
“Ghost signs are the most interesting of all wall signs. Faded to the point of illegibility, they linger on old buildings, echoing the robust commerce of times past. Ghost signs become highlighted under certain conditions, such as the rosy glow of sunrise or sunset, or in the first minutes of a rain.” Stage, William, Ghost Signs: Brick Wall Signs in America, 1989, p. 71

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Interesting Dayton Facts

Posted on by

During one of our research sessions at the library, we found a great book, For the Love of Dayton: Life in the Miami Valley 1796-2001, that was published by the Dayton Daily News in 2001. The book chronicles the history of Dayton year-by-year in little blurbs, and there were a lot of fascinating facts that we just had to share!

  • 1803 – Colonel George Newcom became the first sheriff, serving until 1809. He took little pity on lawbreakers, lowering alleged offenders into his empty well, where they remained until trial.

    • Continue reading →

Dayton’s Unknown

Posted on by
Halloween is coming, and to get into the spirit (HA), here are some of our favorite local spooky stories!

The Story of Bill G. Sloan

Posted on by
Note: Due to the current events across the country in regards to the hurricanes and flooding, we thought we’d share some stories we have previously posted, detailing the heroism from the Dayton Flood of 1913.

March 1913, The Great Dayton Flood.

Rising waters drove people to treetops and attics. People were spotted on rooftops, stranded, but were not able to be rescued. Survivors recount tragic tales, including watching a two-story house floating by, a man, woman, and child stranded helplessly at their front door. As the house was swept along with the current, on an ill-fated journey into the Dayton View Bridge, the man closed the front door suddenly. Moments later, the distinct sound of two gunshots was heard from inside.

Enter William “Bill” G. Sloan.

Continue reading →

The Story of David T. Chambers

Posted on by
Note: Due to the current events across the country in regards to the hurricanes and flooding, we thought we’d share some stories we have previously posted, detailing the heroism from the Dayton Flood of 1913.

The chain of events that started Dayton’s Great Flood started on March 21, 1913, with a rainstorm. Over the next few days, more rain came, ultimately weakening the levees and flooding the already oversaturated soil. Water rose quickly, and as gas lines were destroyed, a fire started downtown that destroyed most of a block.

As these events were happening, twenty four year old David T. Chambers of North Dayton could not stand by and watch without helping. From the safety of his home, which was located above the flood waters, he could see the damage being caused by the rising waters.

Continue reading →