Category Archives: Local History

April 8th Total Solar Eclipse

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On April 8, 2024, there will be a total solar eclipse crossing Dayton between 3:10 and 3:15 pm. The solar eclipse will pass over North America, starting in Mexico, crossing the US, then into Canada.

What is a solar eclipse? It’s when the moon passes between the sun and earth and completely blocks the face of the sun. The sky will go dark like at dusk.

When watching the eclipse, it’s important to be careful not to stare directly at it. It’s best to view through “eclipse glasses”, a handheld solar viewer, or using a pinhole projector. If using eclipse glasses, make sure they are not cheap knockoffs. Use only eclipse glasses that comply with the ISO 12312-2 international standard. Do not use regular sunglasses. Using regular sunglasses during the eclipse will cause eye injury. Safe solar viewers are thousands of times darker than regular sunglasses.

If you take the time to watch the eclipse, make sure to take pictures and share!

Plane hits House, 4 killed (1957)

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September 24th, 1957 – A plane crashed into a home at 1843 Tuttle Ave, killing both pilots and two at the home. Walter Geisler, who was mowing the lawn in the path of the crashing plane and his sister, Mildred VanZant, had come home early from her job at St. Elizabeth Hospital, where she was the Assistant Director of Nursing. Mildred’s husband, Herbert, was dragged to safety by three men who had smashed a window to get to him. He was taken to the hospital and treated for shock and a gash on his arm. Nobody else was injured. The couple’s daughter, Mary Catherine, was playing at a friend’s house 2 doors down and was far enough away to escape harm.

Also killed were Major James E. Melacon, Pilot and Captain Wilho R. Heikkinen, copilot.

The crew was performing a local training flight departing from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in a Martin B-26 Marauder. The twin engine aircraft lost control and crashed on Tuttle Avenue, destroying at least 4 homes. An investigation revealed the likely cause of the crash was a loose engine cowling moving forward into the propeller.

An Attempted Kidnapping in Miamisburg in 1906

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It was every parent’s worst nightmare in June 1906, Miamisburg – A young girl playing in an alley near the Hoover & Gamble machine shop was grabbed by a strange man. Harry Martin from Indiana placed his hand over her mouth and started down the Big 4 track carrying her in his arms. Luckily, her friend saw the abduction and screamed for help, rousing the young girl’s mother, Mrs. Pricket.

Mrs. Pricket called for help and a growing crowd of Miamisburg residents was able to quickly overtake Martin as he fled with the girl. He dropped the girl and ran but was pursued by the mob halfway to West Carrollton and captured.

Martin was preparing to jump into the river but, anticipating his actions, a man from the crowd threw a bottle at him and struck him on the head, leaving a severe gash. Martin was in a state of shock from which he did not recover until after his arrest.

The child was taken back to her parents, suffering no physical injury but was traumatized by the incident. Martin was a 29-year-old man, deemed a degenerate by the papers. He was partially intoxicated when he was arrested and claimed to not remember even seeing the girl. Standing before Mayor Reiter, Martin hesitated as if deliberating before entering a plea of guilty. He was bound over to the grand jury and his bond was $1000. He was placed in County Jail in Dayton.

Ten Years of Dayton Unknown

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On January 27th, 2014, Dayton Unknown shared our very first post. We have absolutely loved sharing our passion for Dayton with you all for the past ten years. We hope you have learned about Dayton from us, and hopefully developed a passon and appreciation for our wonderful city.
In the past ten years…

Most Popular Story: Hills and Dales Lookout Tower: The REAL Story
Sara’s Favorite Story: A Constable Finally Honored after 151 Years
Bethany’s Favorite Story: Other Daytons Part 1 and Part 2

As always, if you have any story ideas or questions you’d like us to look into, please let us know! There are so many ways to contact us – leave a comment down below, via the Contact Us page, send an email (daytonunknown@hotmail.com), send a message on Facebook or Instagram (@daytonunknown), etc.

Henry Stansel

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Henry Stansel was just 9 years old when the Revolutionary War started, but his family wasn’t too concerned. What was more concerning, were raids by the nearby Native Americans – but the Stansels often shared meals with the neighboring tribes, so they weren’t worried. Except one day in 1778, the Stansel boys discovered a group of Native Americans coming toward them from the woods all around them. The boys immediately tried to return to the settlement, but unfortunately one brother was shot, captured, and subsequently scalped.

Due to being slowed by an injured foot and shoes filled with water, Henry was captured by the Native Americans as they stole the horses from the settlement. Henry’s clothes were stripped from him, and he was forced to run through the trees while trying to keep up with the Native Americans on the stolen horses. When they finally stopped to camp, Henry was bound and tormented by his captors, as they callously showed him the scalp of his brother William. During his captivity, Henry was subjected to torture with the other prisoners, forced to run painful gauntlets and beatings.
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Other Daytons (Part 2)

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Here is more information about the other Daytons in the US! We covered the first half in Other Daytons Part 1.

  1. Dayton, Nevada – the second-oldest settlement in Nevada and home to the oldest hotel in Nevada, and once a hotspot for gold miners. Named for a local surveyor, John Day in 1861.
  2. Dayton, Newark, New Jersey – a neighborhood in Newark, named after Jonathan Dayton.</
  3. Dayton, New Jersey – an unincorporated community in South Brunswick. Originally known as Cross Roads but was renamed to Dayton in 1866, but it is unclear if it is named for William L. Dayton or Jonathan Dayton.
  4. Dayton, New York – founded around 1810 when settlers arrived and mistakenly thought they were in Chautauqua County (but they were in Cattaraugus County). Formed from the town Perrysburg.
  5. Dayton, Oregon – founded in 1850 by Joel Palmer and Andrew Smith, a native of Dayton, Ohio.
  6. Dayton, Pennsylvania – a small borough in Armstrong County. Population as of the 2020 census was 549 people.
  7. Dayton, Tennessee – Settled around 1820 and was named Smith’s Crossroads. Renamed to Dayton in 1877, after Dayton, Ohio. Was also the site of the 1925 Scopes Trial that decided if evolution should be taught in public schools.

    8. Continue reading →

Dr. Kemp and the Oldest House in Dayton

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Back in 2021, we posted about Lewis Kemp and the Oldest House in Dayton. In May of this year, a descendant of Lewis Kemp – Dr. Kemp – reached out to us asking if we had any information regarding visiting the Kemp Homestead.

We reached out to the Riverside Historical Society, and they forwarded our request to the owner of the Kemp Homestead. The owner then reached out to us, and gave us his contact information, which we forwarded to Dr. Kemp.

We were delighted to receive the following email from Dr. Kemp after his visit:

Thank you for suggesting the Riverside Historical Society for enabling contact with James Owen. My wife Tricia and I met him 1 o’clock June 5th. He was very open, gracious, and proud to show us all through the house for two hours. He said he and his father restored the homestead about 1972. It had been heavily vandalized but because the original had no nails, the wood and stones weren’t bothered. We went up to the attic and space where slaves sheltered and Kemp children slept and could be ignored. Jim is a lawyer and antique collector. The homestead contains a huge collection of furniture, beds, paintings, guns, pots, books, etc. that he loves to recount. There is a powerful home theatre system on the ground floor fireplace west. He gave us two printed gift cards of the homestead as a parting gesture.

We love that we were able to facilitate this!

Five Tiny Cemeteries in Beavercreek

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Driving around town, you may be stopped at a stoplight and glance over and be surprised to see a few old gravestones in a tiny cemetery. There are five of these tucked away in Beavercreek.
Sunnyside Cemetery:

  • Located on North Fairfield Road, just north of Kemp Road.
  • On the site of old Mount Pisgah German Reformed Church, which held services as early as 1809.
  • The cemetery is also known as Old Pisgah Cemetery.
  • The land was owned by Jonathan Harshman.
  • The earliest known burial was John Helmer in 1823.
  • Surnames of Cyphers, Goldshot, Harshman, Howett, Koogler, Reigelsperger, Sensenbaugh, Swigert, and Trubee are found on the gravestones.
  • The last known burial was in 1957.

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