The Miami Conservancy District was organized in 1915, in response to the Great Dayton Flood (in 1913). The MCD built levees, straightened the river channel, and built 5 dams to control flooding in the Miami Valley. The Miami Conservancy District was the first major watershed district in the nation. The district and its projects are unusual in that they were funded almost entirely by local tax initiatives.
The small village of Osborn, Ohio had little damage from the flood, but experienced issues from its aftermath. The village was located directly in the path of the new Huffman flood plain. The citizens of Osborn decided not to abandon their home, but instead, decided to move their homes to just outside Fairfield, Ohio. Years later, the two towns merged, and changed their name to Fairborn, Ohio.
The 5 dams built to control flooding are:
- Englewood Dam – Regulates the flow of the Stillwater River into the Great Miami River
- Germantown Dam – Regulates the flow of the Twin Creek into the Great Miami River
- Huffman Dam – Regulates flow of Mad River into Great Miami River
- Lockington Dam – Regulates flow of Loramie Creek into Great Miami River
- Taylorsville Dam – Regulates the Great Miami River
Beaver’s Mini Mart vs Goliath
The nearest Buc-ee’s is 16 miles from the Beaver’s Mini Mart location in the middle of a city that has been using beaver iconography for decades via school mascots, team logos, business advertisements and more. The small convenience store has no gas pumps, no public bathrooms, and a logo that looks nothing similar.
Many want to help support this small business. Here are a few ways to do so:
- Shop at their store – 1592 Hanes Road, Beavercreek, 45434
- Support their GoFundMe
- Buy Beaver Mini Mart shirts from CincyShirts.com
- Buy Beaver Mini Mart Cookies from The Original Goodie Shop. Stop by their store at 2116 Tremont Center, Upper Arlington, 43221 or call 614-488-8777
- Buy Beaver’s Mini Mart merch from Teepublic
Please note, there is a lot of misinformation going around about the ownership of the Beaver’s Mini Mart. We ask that you do your due dilligence and your own research before forming your opinion, or having a negative reaction to their plight.
Huffman Prairie
Later in 1910, the Wright Brothers established the Wright Company and used Huffman Prairie as their testing ground and exhibition space, and ran their flying school there as well.
Sara’s Ghost Tour & Courthouse Square
Thanks to all who came out!
Sara’s tour included:
- Court House Square (Old Jailhouse)
- Dayton Daily News Building (4th and Ludlow)
- Dayton’s First Cemetery (5th and Ludlow)
- Spaghetti Warehouse
- The Old Courthouse
How a 19th Century Story Reached a Family Today
When we started Dayton Unknown, our goal was simple: to uncover and share the forgotten, overlooked, and lesser known stories that shaped our city. Stories like Johnny Morehouse and the Morehouse Family.
Recently, we heard from a descendant of the Morehouse family.
Just a Bite of Popcorn
The Fawleys were driving around town running errands when Mr. Fawley parked in front of the smokehouse on South Detroit Street. He left his wife and daughter in the car while he walked to complete a few more errands. Norma was eating popcorn and started choking, and her mother was alerted by her gasping for breath. Workers in the smokehouse heard Mrs. Fawley’s cries for help and they rushed out to try to help.
All attempts to dislodge the popcorn by swinging Norma around by the heels, turning her upside-down, and forceful blows on the back were unsuccessful. A man in the crowd carried the child half a block to a nearby doctor’s office, but by then it was too late. As the doctor prepared to perform a surgery to remove the piece, Norma took a few more gasps of air, then tragically died.
Source: Child Chokes to Death from Bit of Popcorn, Dayton Herald, April 3, 1925, Page 1
Happy Birthday, Dayton!
Footprints in the cement at Founder’s Point at Riverscape Metropark to remember the first settlers of Dayton.
”The boat party was the first to arrive. Rounding the curve in the river, where for so many years since then it has been flowing under the Dayton View Bridge, the pioneers perceived before their eyes the swift current of Mad River emptying itself into the main channel, just as it had been described, and saying to each other (so we may imagine), ‘Yes this must be the place,’ they tied the pirogue to a tree at the head of St, Clair Street and led by Mrs. Thompson, all clambered ashore.
At that moment, DAYTON came on the map!” – Charlotte Reeve Conover in The Story of Dayton
The Thompson Cow
- William Hamer
- Soloman Hamer
- Thomas Hamer
- George Newcom
- William Newcom
- Abraham Grassmire
- John Davis
- John Dorough
A Fire in 1900
- J.P. Wolf & Sons, Tobacco Merchants
- E. Bimm & Sons, Grocers
- Benedicts & Co, Cigar Manufacturers
- The Dayton Paper Novelty Company
The Big Four Freight depot was located in the back, and had minimal damage. The office building was destroyed, but the slate roof prevented the rest of the company from more damage. There was an estimated $500,000 in damages to the district.
It took 3 hours for the flames to be under control, and there were many injuries:
- Night Watchman Snedecker was overcome by smoke and later found unconscious by other firemen.
- Another fireman, Louis Swaneger, was taken to his home, badly frozen.
- Three firemen, George Coy, George Nienaber, and George Griesheimer were buried when the east wall of the J.P. Wolf & Sons building collapsed. Nienaber and Griesheimer were not badly injured.
- Many other firefighters and volunteers were treated at a makeshift hospital located in a nearby home.
1936 “Treasure Hunt” for Dayton History Facts
- Presiding Judge: Hon Francis Dunley
- Associate Judges: Isaac Spinning, Benjamin Archer, John Ewing
- Officers:
- George Newcom, Sheriff
- Benjamin Van Cleve, clerk
- James Miller, coroner
The court opened July 27, 1803, but there were no cases, so court adjourned that evening. Most of the male population of Dayton had turned out for the opening, and it was met with great excitement. The judges and lawyers slept in one room of the tavern overnight and left together the next morning to open court in Xenia. The next session of court was not held until November 22, 1803, and it was held until a tree behind the tavern. Sheriff Newcom was needed to control the crown gathering to listen to testimony from witnesses and jury deliberation.
2. Dayton was almost called Venice. Before Dayton was settled in 1796, Maj Benjamin Stites, John Stites Gano, and William Goforth had made plans for a settlement to be named Venice. It was located at the mouth of the “Tiber”, as they called Mad River at the time. They had agreed to purchase the land from John Cleves Symmers for 83 cents an acre and a contract was signed. Unfortunately for the men, Symmes had some issues with the government and the Native Americans in the area and the troubles forced them to abandon the plan for Venice.
3. The first town election was held on the first Monday in May 1805. The select council of the town was comprised of the seven trustees, with the president also serving as the mayor.
4. The first county election was held in 1802. Jerome Holt, County Sheriff, gave notice to Daytonians to convene at Newcom’s on April 1, then elect by ballot a chairman, a town clerk, three or more trustees, two or more overseers of the poor, three fence viewers, two appraisers of houses, a lister of taxable property, a sufficient number of supervisors of roads, and one or more constables.
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