Sara had her first Author Talk!

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Troy-Miami County Public Library hosted Sara’s first Author Talk last night! We had a great audience who asked so many interesting questions. Thanks so much to every one who came out! If you’d like to purchase Sara’s book, see our Where to Buy page!

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Sara has a few more events scheduled (listed below), but you can also check our Events Calendar for more Author events coming up!

Book Sales & Signing
When:
Friday, August 6th, 6pm-9pm
Where:
Bonnett’s Book Store (in front)
502 East 5th Street
Dayton, OH 45402

Author Talk, Book Sales & Signing
When:
Thursday, September 2nd, 6:30pm – 7:30pm
Where:
Winters-Bellbrook Community Library
57 West Franklin Street
Bellbrook, OH 45305

Sara’s Author Talk

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Meet Dayton Unknown’s very own local author, Sara Kaushal, and learn more about her recently released book, Murder and Mayhem in Dayton and the Miami Valley next week on Thursday, July 22, at 6:30 PM.

Troy Miami County Public Library will be hosting. If you have not gotten her book yet, this is your chance to buy it! If you already have the book, come get it signed!

The Troy-Miami County Public Library is located at 419 West Main Street, Troy, Ohio 45373.

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Also, please wish a HAPPY HAPPY Birthday to Dayton Unknown’s other half, Bethany! Bethany is very important to Dayton Unknown and DU wouldn’t survive without her! Happiest of Birthdays to you!

Miscellaneous Dayton Facts

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It’s been a while since we shared some miscellaneous facts about Dayton, so here are a few!

  • The expression “You’re fired” dates back to John Henry Patterson, founder of NCR. Patterson was reported to have terminated an employee by having his desk taken outside and set on fire.
  • The name of the horse in the statue with John H. Patterson in Hills and Dales Park is Spinner.
  • The Ohio accent is the basis of the accent taught to newscasters – The Ohio accent is considered to be so bland that you don’t hear the accent, just the words.
  • The group Stars of Joy was the first local African American gospel group to air on WHIO TV.
  • Possum Run Creek got its name from the great number of possums being caught in the lowlands.
  • John H Patterson urged the city to build a road over the canal, and that’s how Patterson Boulevard got its name.
  • The Thomas Clegg house on the corner of First and Jefferson is Dayton’s oldest continuously occupied home. Downtown used to be a glamorous place for the rich to live in young Dayton, but the 1913 flood and increasing noise of streetcars and traffic made downtown living less appealing. The house was renovated in the early 2000s for condo use.
  • The Wright Brothers purchased Spruce from Requarth Lumber in Downtown Dayton for the second and third Wright flyers.

Murder & Mayhem in Dayton and the Miami Valley is Out!

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Sara’s book has been released by The History Press!wp-1624473617276.jpg

You can purchase from Sara directly at one of the upcoming author events (we’ll update you), or get the book at the following links:

Dr. Helen Octavia Dickens Henderson

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Even as a child, Helen Octavia Dickens knew she wanted to be a doctor even though she had many odds stacked against her as a black woman born in 1909. Helen’s father was born into slavery then raised by a Union Colonel from the age of nine. After obtaining his freedom, he named himself Charles Warren Dickens, after the famous author he once met. Helen Octavia Dickens was born in Dayton on February 21st, 1909.

Helen’s father Charles had dreams of becoming a lawyer, but when racial prejudice reared its ugly head, preventing his dream, he took a job as a janitor to support his family. He never lost hope in the future for his children and sent them to one of the few integrated schools in the area to get them the best education possible. Daisy Dickens, Helen’s mother, worked as a domestic servant until she married Charles. Despite Charles insisting his wife stay at home, he encouraged Helen to become a nurse. But Helen had different plans. If she could be a nurse, Helen reasoned, she could also be a doctor. “It was what I wanted to do and I didn’t see why I couldn’t do it.” she’d say.
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The Story of Natalie Clifford Barney

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In honor of Pride Month, we thought we would re-share the story of Daytonian Natalie Clifford Barney.

“I built a fire to welcome her
And my voice sighed
Aloud her name. To be with her
This night, I would have died…”

Natalie Clifford Barney was born in Dayton, Ohio in 1876, to an affluent family. By age twelve, Natalie knew she was a lesbian. Although society in the late 1800’s was very conservative, Natalie knew she would “Live openly, without hiding anything.”

Natalie developed an interest in the French language as a child. Her governess often read Jules Vern stores aloud to her in French, and she had to learn the language quickly to understand the stories.  In adulthood, Natalie was fluent in French, and published most of her work in French.
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Murder & Mayhem in Dayton and the Miami Valley – Coming Soon!

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Our very own Sara wrote a book! A few years ago, she was approached by The History Press after they saw the blog!

Delve into the dastardly deeds of the Miami Valley with Murder & Mayhem in Dayton and the Miami Valley! It will be released on Monday, June 28th.

You can purchase from Sara directly at one of the upcoming author events (we’ll update you), or pre-order/purchase the book at the following links:

A Few Weeks Left for the DU Virtual Photo Scavenger Hunt!

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Back in February, we announced our Virtual Photo Scavenger Hunt – a chance to get out on your own, socially-distancing, to take pictures using our prompts!

We had a few requests to extend the deadline for submissions, so in April we decided to extend the deadline all the way to the end of June!

Picture submissions can be funny, creative, literal, or any other way you can imagine! We look forward to seeing your submissions! You can follow all the prompts, or just choose a select few that inspire you! All you have to do is take pictures and submit the captioned photos to us at daytonunknown@hotmail.com by June 30th!

Upcoming Festivals 2021

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Summer is here and life is slowly returning to normal. With this in mind, here are the statuses of some of the nearby festivals coming this summer:

On for Festivities:

    • Dayton Pride Parade & Festival – Friday, June 4th and Saturday, June 5th in Downtown Dayton
    • Jewish Cultural Festival – Temple Israel with be hosting on June 11th as a drive-thru event
    • Lebanon Country Music Festival – Friday June 11th and Saturday June 12th on Main Street in Lebanon
    • Celtic Festival Ohio – June 19th, 11am-11pm at Renaissance Fairgrounds in Waynesville
    • Waynesville Street Faire – June 19th, July 17th, August 14th, and September 11th, Main Street in Waynesville
    • Lights in Flight Festival and Fireworks Show – July 4th, 5-10 pm at Riverscape

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