- Koogler Wetland Prairie Reserve
- Russ Nature Preserve
- Caesar Creek State Park
- Twin Creek MetroPark
- Germantown MetroPark
- Aullwood Farm
- Charleston Falls Preserve
- John Bryan State Park
Eddie Breen
Eddie Breen served as Mayor of Dayton from 1946-1948 then served as a member of the US House of Representatives from Ohio’s 3rd District.
Eddie had many notable members of his family, including:
- John Breen, who along with John Ohmer had invented and manufactured the Taxi Meter. They originally planned to take the maiden voyage of the Titanic but opted instead to continue their sales trip in Europe.
- Maurice Breen, who smuggled runaway slaves in his wagon among parts for railway construction.
- Bernadina Focke and her sons, who set up a card table in the Arcade selling meat. This business would become a successful meat packing business that lasted until 1972.
- Mary Lousie Breen, who spied for FDR in France and Germany during WWII.
- Marie Berno Focke, who sang and danced with Fred Astaire in the 1920s.
Eddie Breen died on May 8, 1991, and is buried at Calvary Cemetery. For more information about these events and more stories about this family, check out the book Lucky Eddie, by Edward Focke Breen.
Dayton Sideshow is back!
When
Friday, May 20th – Saturday May 21st
Where
Yellow Cab Tavern
700 East 4th Street
Dayton, Ohio 45402
We’ve been attending Sideshow since 2016, and have missed it very much!
The Future of A World A’Fair
Unfortunately, the event has been cancelled for the third year in a row. According to a statement on their website:
“Unfortunately, due to the uncertainties surrounding Covid-19 and its variants plus uncertainties surrounding the Convention Center’s new ownership and management, the festival board has decided to cancel the May 2022 festival and study revamping the festival, pretty much from scratch. We have formed a committee to study what our options might be and as any decisions are made they’ll be presented here.”
We hope to see the festival return in the future! Here are some pictures from past years.
Sara is Speaking at Wright Library!
Where:
Wright Memorial Public Library
1776 Far Hills Avenue
Oakwood, Ohio 45410
Whene:
Wednesday, May 11th
7pm-8pm
As always, Sara’s book is available to purchase online as well! You can get an autographed copy directly from Sara or from the sites listed on our Where to Buy page!
Dayton Historical Photos
John H. Wartinger and Wartinger Park
In 1975, Wartinger Park was named for John Wartinger, who served his community in several ways:
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A Few Fun Facts about Dayton
- Dayton’s first attorney was Judge Joseph Crane.
- James Cox served 2 terms as governor of Ohio and ran for US President.
- Charles Lindbergh flew into Dayton’s McCook Field on August 5, 1927.
- Susan (Koerner) Wright, mother to Wilbur and Orville, was highly-educated, especially for her time. She met Milton, her future husband, while attending Huntsville College in Huntington, Indiana. After being ordained in the United Brethren ministry, Milton was assigned to Oregon. He asked Susan to accompany him as his wife. She agreed to the marriage proposal but did not want to go to Oregon. She waited 2 years and they wed on November 24, 1859.
Huffman Dam
Happy 226th Birthday, Dayton!

Dayton historian, Charlotte Reeve Conover put it best in the her book The Story 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!”