Dayton has another little Gem, born to our very own Sara Kaushal!
Welcome to the world, little guy!
Dayton’s Newest Little Gem!
Welcome to the world, little guy!
Category Archives: Prominent Local Figures
Welcome to the world, little guy!
Dayton’s 225th Anniversary
“April 1, 1796. Landed at Dayton, after a passage of ten days, William Gahagan and myself having come with Thompson’s and McClure’s families in a large pirogue.”
– Benjamin Van Cleve, in his journal.
“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, The Story of Dayton.
Founder’s Point at Riverscape. Underneath the canopy, there are some footprints in the concrete simulating the steps of the settlers. Also, there is an etching stating, “On April 1st, 1796, the first settlers of Dayton, led by Samuel Thompson, came ashore near this spot. The party included the first Daytonian, Benjamin Van Cleve. According to one account, the first person to set foot on shore was Catherine Van Cleve Thompson, great-great-grandmother of the Wright brothers.”
We were on The Night Run!
A few weeks ago, we had the pleasure of appearing on The Night Run Starring Dion McElrath! It was such a blast.
Check out the episode here!
This Day in History – November 6th, 1967
Phil Donahue’s talk show premiered November 6, 1967 on WLWD-TV in Dayton. The first guest to appear on the show was atheist Madalyn Murray O’Hair.
Considered to be a pioneer of the genre, Donahue’s show included controversial topics and had audience involved in the story, interacting with the host and guest and often asking questions.
Born and raised in Cleveland, Donahue moved to Dayton to host a phone-in radio show called Conversation Piece. This show aired from 1963 until the start of his show in 1967.
The Phil Donahue Show was later syndicated and went on to be the most watched syndicated talk show in 1980. The show won twenty Emmy awards and was inducted into the national Television Hall of Fame. The show ran in syndicate for twenty-six years, finally dipping in rates when other talk shows chose more inflammatory topics, while Donahue strayed away from the shock tactics. When the show ultimately went off the air in 1996, it had aired nearly 7,000 episodes in total.
The Night Run Starring Dion McElrath has premiered!
Last month, we told you about the new local late-night show The Night Run Starring Dion McElrath which would be premiering soon!
We are so excited to share that The Night Run Starring Dion McElrath has premiered and now has 3 episodes available for your viewing pleasure! Please make sure to check them out!
- Episode 1 – Guests are Forrer and Timothy “Father B” Broughton. Featuring JAMR the Band.
- Episode 2 – Guest is Doug Jones, with a musical performance by JAMR the Band.
- Episode 3– Guests are Isiah Davis from The Cookie Joint and Chris Dearth from Hawthorne Hill Coffee, and featuring JAMR the Band
The Murder of Jesse Kelsey, Jr.
Born in 1829 to one of Centerville’s most prosperous farmers, Jesse Kelsey Sr., Jesse Kelsey Jr. was the 9th of 12 children. He married Unity Stokes on September 4th, 1856, and lived on a farm in Centerville on the southwest corner of what is now Spring Valley Pike and Dayton-Lebanon Pike, near the Kroger Marketplace. In September of 1862, Jesse Jr. and Unity were expecting their first child.
On the night of September 7th, 1862, just 3 days after celebrating their 6th wedding anniversary, Unity woke up to see a man standing over her and Jesse Jr. while they slept. She woke Jesse Jr. up, and he shouted at the man, who then fired a pistol at him. Jesse Jr. rushed Unity out of the room to safety and was struck by another pistol shot, and fell to the ground, dead.
Hamilton the Musical & Dayton
Over the past few years, there has been a lot of hype surrounding the hit Broadway musical, Hamilton. But did you know the story of Alexander Hamilton has ties to Dayton?
The plot of Hamilton follows the life of Alexander Hamilton, which ended after a duel (or affair of honor)with politician Aaron Burr. Burr was later implicated in traitorous plots against America, along with one of Dayton’s founders, James Wilkinson, who was also Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Army at New Orleans. Burr and Wilkinson conspired to commit treason by using their positions and working with both France and Spain at different times to take land for themselves to establish a separate country.
In 1806, Burr wrote Wilkinson a “cipher letter,” and Wilkinson panicked, double-crossed Burr, and sent a letter to President Jefferson, telling him of Burr’s activities. This letter led to Burr’s arrest for Treason. Wilkinson then testified in court, heavily emphasizing Burr’s role in the acts of Treason. Burr was later acquitted of the crimes.
Dr. John Hole
If you’ve driven around the Centerville area, you may have seen the name Dr. John Hole around town.
Dr. John Hole was born in New Jersey in 1755. In his youth, John was adopted by a prominent doctor so that he could be trained and educated in the medical profession. He went to the University of Berlin and returned to the states in 1775, in the midst of the crisis that led to the American Revolution. John was present at the Battle of Bunker Hill, and when George Washington commanded forces at Cambridge. John was eventually reassigned to be the personal physician and surgeon under Brigadier General Richard Montgomery.
This Day in History – June 24th, 1955
Happy 65th Birthday, Kettering!
On June 24, 1955, an official proclamation from the Ohio Secretary of State elevated the Village of Kettering to an official city.
A few facts about Kettering:
- Kettering has two sister cities: Steyr, Austria and Kettering, England.
- Kettering was named after Charles Fitzgerald Kettering, a resident of the community and prominent inventor and innovator.
- According to the 2010 census, Kettering has 56,163 residents.
Arthur Morgan
If you’ve explored Riverscape Metropark, you have probably seen the sculpture representing the Hydraulic Jump Fountain, that is part of the Dayton Inventors Riverwalk. The Hydraulic Jump Fountain was part of the dry dam system developed by Morgan after the 1913 Flood.
Hydraulic Jump Fountain
Dayton Unknown 
