Category Archives: Streets

Dayton Firsts Part 4

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It’s that time again! Let’s find out more about the early years of Dayton!

First Library — The first library association (also the first in the state of Ohio) was formed on February 1, 1805, through an act of the legislature. Rev. William Robinson served as the first president of the organization.

First Graveyard — Next to the Presbyterian church at the corner of Third Street and Main Street. In 1805, Daniel Cooper gave four acres of land between Ludlow Street and Wilkinson Street to form a cemetery shared by the Presbyterians and Methodists.

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Lib Hedges

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Everyone knew about Pearl Street in Dayton’s Red Light District, but nobody admitted so.

“Most of the houses were ornately trimmed; each had the name of the proprietor, a single woman posted in the door glass or permanently etched there, and at night, in the window on a table sat a red lamp, spreading its cheery invitation to all.  Within the houses many women followed a profession dignified only by its extreme age.”

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Local Street Names – Part 4

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Curious about the names of streets around Dayton? Here’s a few namesakes:

  • Eaker Street: Mary Belle Eaker, a local philanthropist who gave her home to the YMCA.

  • Gummer Avenue: named for Henry R. Gummer, a co-founder of the Gem City Stove Company.

  • Gunckel: named after Lewis B. Gunckel, a politician, congressman, and attorney.

  • Harries Street: J. W. Harries, a local brewer.

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Local Street Names – Part 3

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Time for more Dayton street name origins!

  • Ashley Street: Ashley Brown, son-in-law of Colonel Robert Patterson.

  • Schantz Road: Named for Adam Schantz, local brewer.

  • Spinning Road: Isaac Spinning, a Colonel in the Revolutionary War, and a judge in Dayton.

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Local Street Names – Part 2

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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.

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Local Street Names

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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.

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Dayton

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“In a small bend of the Great Miami River, with canals on the east and south, it can be fairly said, without infringing on the rights of others, that Dayton is the gem of all our interior towns. It possesses wealth, refinement, enterprise, and a beautiful country, beautifully developed.” – T

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