Category Archives: Prominent Local Figures

Local Street Names – Part 2

Posted on by
Ever wondered who local streets are named after? Here’s a few!

  • Jefferson street – President Thomas Jefferson

  • Perry Street – Commodore Oliver H. Perry, who was considered the “Hero of the Battle of Lake Erie.”

  • Monument Avenue – Renamed from Water Street after the Private Fair statue was erected at the corner of Water and Main Streets in 1884.

    • Continue reading →

Picking Up Cans and Chasing Women: Charlie’s Story

Posted on by
Although we generally reserve the category of Prominent Local Figures to historic figures, one can’t argue the prominence of Charlie/Billy in the Oregon District.

100_0512wm

We’ve known him for 7 years, but many who have spent countless nights meandering through 5th Street have known him longer. Known as Charlie to some, and Billy to others, many have taken time out of their drinking nights to stop and talk to him. How many stories has he told over the years?

We sat down and asked him to tell us another story: his life.

Continue reading →

Prominent Local Figures: The Wright Brothers

Posted on by

Who doesn’t know the Wright Brothers? Anyone that has taken a plane, or knows someone that did, has been affected by the Wright Brothers. Born in the mid 1800’s, Orville and Wilbur Wright grew up in Dayton Ohio, in a family of 7 children.

Aug. 19, 1871 – Jan. 30, 1948                      
IMG-20140126-WA0015

April 16, 1867 – May 30, 1912
 IMG-20140126-WA0013

Continue reading →

On this day in 1796…

Posted on by

In March of 1796, the Thompson party started its journey from Cincinnati to Dayton. Split into two groups, one by land and one by water, they traveled 60 miles, pulling the boat through shallow channels with a rope tied to a tree, sometimes for miles. On land, they lead the Thompson cow that paid for itself in milk.

Continue reading →

Local Street Names

Posted on by
While many of the streets in our area are named after important people to Dayton, some simply refer to geographic terms. Let’s look at a few examples of both.

  • Alex-Bell Road: the route connects Alexandersville to Bellbrook.

  • Patterson Road and Boulevard: All are named after either John H. Patterson, the founder of NCR, or his grandfather Colonel Robert Patterson.

    • Continue reading →

Woodland Cemetery Series: Notable Graves Part I

Posted on by

Woodland Cemetery is an old cemetery in the heart of Dayton. Brimming with trees, this cemetery was designed with visitors in mind. When it opened in the 1840’s, people were still losing loved ones to diseases which have long since been cured. Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum was created to be a pleasant atmosphere in which family could come and spend the day.

Continue reading →