A Glimpse of Dayton in the Early 1800s

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Sometimes in our research, we find some interesting tidbits that aren’t enough for a full story, but we would like to share. Here are three articles from the early 1800s that give a glimpse of life back then. Two missing horses, and a tract of land for sale.

Published in the Western Spy and Miami Gazette (Cincinnati, Ohio) on October 10, 1804.

Published in the Western Spy and Miami Gazette (Cincinnati, Ohio) on December 25, 1805.

Published in the Western Spy and Miami Gazette (Cincinnati, Ohio) on February 1, 1808.

Mad Anthony Wayne and the Longest Grave Ever

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Mad River, the former Wayne Township (now Huber Heights), Wayne High School, and Wayne Avenue are all named for Major General “Mad” Anthony Wayne. General Wayne served in the Revolutionary War and the Northwest Indian War. His most famous victory from the Revolutionary War was leading a bayonets-only attack against the British at Stony Point, New York. During the Northwest Indian War, he helped defeat the Indian Confederacy at the Battle of Fallen Timbers and negotiated the Treaty of Greenville in 1795.

There are many theories how Anthony Wayne earned the moniker “Mad” Anthony Wayne. One theory is that it came from his impulsive decisions during battles. Another theory involves another prominent name in Dayton History, James Wilkinson. In 1792, Wilkinson and Wayne were in competition for commander of the Legion of the United States. When Washington appointed Wayne, Wilkinson attempted to discredit and criticize Wayne at every opportunity, even calling him “Mad” Anthony Wayne, hoping it would catch on with the general public.
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It’s Our 9th Anniversary!

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On January 27th, 2014, Dayton Unknown shared our very first post. Since then…

Most Popular Story: Hills and Dales Lookout Tower: The REAL Story
Sara’s Favorite Story: The Chinese Tong Murder
Bethany’s Favorite Story: General Richard Montgomery

We are so excited to see what the future holds for us!

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.

More Street and Bridge Honorary Designations

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This list is thanks to the book Hidden History by Tony Kroeger, with a small amount of Googling on our part.

  • Chuck Whalen Lane (L Street) – Whalen was a UD graduate who went on to serve as a US Representative
  • Local 696 Way (Alwildy Drive) – United Auto Workers Local 696 has an HQ building on Alwildy, which was designated by Paul Deneau in 1965.
  • Bishop John H. Mathews Jr. Way (College Street) – Mathews was a pastor of Mount Zion Church.
  • Keith A Byars Sr. Way (Hoover Avenue) – Byars is a Dayton native who played in the NFL for 13 seasons as fullback and tight end. He played seven seasons for the Eagles, made the Pro Bowl in 1993 with the Dolphins, then SuperBowl XXXI with the New England Patriots.
  • Commissioner Richard a Zimmer Memorial Bridge (Findlay Street Bridge) – Zimmer was a Dayton City Commissioner for 21 years.
  • Dean Lovelace Drive (Madden Hills) – Lovelace was a Dayton City Commissioner.
  • Martin Bayless Drive (Enroe Drive) – Bayless is a Dayton native who played in the NFL for 13 seasons for: St Louis Cardinals; Buffalo Bills; San Diego Chargers, Kansas City Chiefs, and Washington Redskins. He is now a Director of Player Development and General Manager at Brevard College.

Anthony Wayne

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There is a lot to learn about Anthony Wayne, and not all information can be put into one post. We highly recommend learning more about Anthony Wayne’s life.

Anthony Wayne was born January 1, 1745 in a log cabin in Chester County, Pennsylvania. Although his father wanted him to be a farmer, Anthony was charmed by his father’s stories of his time in the French and Indian War, and dreamed of being in the military. Anthony was educated as a surveyor and worked for Benjamin Franklin surveying land on Nova Scotia for a year. Anthony married Mary Penrose in 1766 and together they had two children, Margretta and Isaac. Wayne was a well-known philanderer, causing estrangement with his wife.

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Holiday Hiatus 2022

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We hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving yesterday!

As Dayton Unknown does every year for the holidays, we are going to take a break for the rest of the year to enjoy time with our families.

We are always accessible through the Contact Us page, Dayton Unknown on Facebook, and by email – daytonunknown@hotmail.com. Don’t forget to check out our Instagram as well, at @daytonunknown!!

We’ll see you all in 2023!

General Richard Montgomery

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When Sara realized that she had lived here her entire life, and didn’t know who Dayton was named after, she had the idea for Dayton Unknown. Yet it never occurred to us that we didn’t know who Montgomery County is named after until Bethany was at a stoplight one day and read the fun fact printed on the RTA bus next to her.

Happy Veterans Day!

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A way to honor our local heroes this Veterans Day could be to check out this book by Ken Serey. Ken worked with blind and visually impaired people and through his work, he has heard many veterans stories over the years. He published a book of stories from Dayton area veteran residents, called What’s the Story?

The book available for purchase on Amazon and at the upcoming Wright Library Local Author Book Sale on December 10.

Author Talk at Dayton Metro Library – November 8th

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This Spooky Season has given so many opportunities for Sara to share her book with everyone! This coming Tuesday, Sara is giving another author talk!

Event Page
Dayton Metro Library Main Branch
215 East Third Street
Dayton Ohio 45402
6:30pm – 8pm

As always, you can buy an autographed copy directly from Sara here!

You can also purchase at the following links: