March 9, 1937. An earthquake rattles the small village of Anna, Ohio. Although Anna is located roughly forty-five miles north of Dayton, the effects were felt here in Dayton too. Anna was affected by eight earthquakes in March 1937 alone, with a total of twenty-three earthquakes in the decade. The prior week, the first of the March 1937 earthquakes hit, on March 2. Although there were no reported injuries, there was plenty of property damage. Fire Chief Henry Cleaves reported his clock – which had not been ticking for at least a year- had started ticking again after the quake.
Mead Corporation
The Mead Corporation was founded in Dayton in 1846, by Colonel Daniel Mead and his partners. Originally named Ellis, Chafflin & Company, the paper company went through a series of buyouts and reorganizations over the next several years, until the Mead Paper Company was established in 1882.
- 1856 – Mead bought out his original partners and formed Weston and Mead.
- 1860 – Weston and Mead became Mead and Weston.
- 1866 – Mead and Weston became Mead and Nixon.
- 1873 – Mead and Nixon became the Mead & Nixon Paper Company.
- 1881 – Mead bought out Nixon, and established the Mead Paper Company in 1882.
By the time Daniel Mead died in 1891, the Mead Corporation was one of the largest paper producers in the country, with paper mills in Tennessee, Georgia, and Michigan, as well as the several plant locations in Ohio.
One Missing Bench Found
As you may remember from the story of the Missing Benches, there has been a mystery surrounding the rest of the benches that are supposed to be located all around the Miami Valley.
Well, one of the benches has been located! Right in front of the Wright Brothers Airport in Springboro, with a lovely mural with the Wright Brothers in the background.
The remaining benches really are a mystery:
- Two at the National Museum of the US Air Force – Bethany spoke to the staff and volunteers (including a groundskeeper) at the museum, and nobody had any recollection of the benches.
- One somewhere at the Dayton International Airport
– no idea where!
Have you seen one of these benches at one of these two locations? We’re still hunting!
Happy Valentine’s Day
Happy Valentine’s Day, Dayton!
We thought we’d celebrate by sharing two of our favorite love poems by Dayton’s very own Paul Laurence Dunbar. Enjoy!
More Interesting Street Names
- Wagner Ford Road – Named after the Wagoners, who owned the land where the road forded (was shallow enough to be crossed by wading) the Miami River. Over time, the spelling changed from Wagoner to Wagner.
- Benn Street – named for M.S. Benn, a real estate dealer.
- Siebenthaler Avenue – named for the well-known nursery family.
- Stop Eight Road – The Dayton and Troy Railway had sixteen stops throughout its route. The eighth stop was at Henneke Road, and later renamed Stop Eight Road.
- Wroe Avenue – named after Al Wroe, a Dayton contractor.
- Diamond Mill Road – Named for a mill at the southern end of the road.
- Iroquois Avenue, Wyandot Street, Bannock Street, Blackfoot Street, and Cherokee Drive – named after Native American tribes.
- Michigan Avenue – the road ran alongside the Dayton & Michigan railroad.
- Harman Avenue – named for Gabriel Harman, an owner of the Gebhart Harman Bank.
- Arnold Place – Named for J.O. Arnold, long-time resident, historian and one of the planners of the Dayton View neighborhood.
This Day in History – February 2nd, 1923
On February 2, 1923, the first leaded gasoline was sold in Dayton, Ohio.
Thomas Midgley, a chemist, worked with Charles Kettering at General Motors Research Corporation. Kettering had modified an internal combustion engine to produce greater horsepower, but it resulted in “engine knocking.” Midgley added tetraethyl lead to the fuel, which eliminated the problem. Kettering named the mixture “ethyl gas” and they first sold it at a station owned by Kettering’s friend, Willard Talbott. The gas was a success.
Unfortunately, leaded gas was toxic to humans and the environment. Workers in plants producing the gas were exposed to lead poisoning. Many died and others went mad. The gas was eventually phased out in the 1970s when the federal standards became stricter.
This Day in History – January 25th, 1978
On January 25, 1978, a severe blizzard blew in to Dayton, a result of two storm systems meeting and combining over Ohio. The storms created a megastorm and impacted the Great Lakes Region, mainly Ohio. Wind gusts were recorded in Dayton up to 70 mph, 5 miles faster than the 65 mph requirement for a storm to be considered a tornado. The National Weather Service issued a blizzard warning that night at 9 pm.
The total amount of accumulation in Dayton was more than forty inches in January. More than a foot fell on just one day, January 26th. Volunteers dug out people stranded in cars and transported them to safe shelters that were set up. The situation was so severe that Governor James Rhodes sent the National Guard in to bring supplies and help rescue stuck motorists.
Most Dayton residents were unable to get to work, and for the first time since the 1913 Flood, mail was not able to be delivered. The airport ceased all air traffic at Cox International Airport and the RTA did not put any busses on the street. Travel agencies saw record bookings for cruise ships and warmer climate destinations. Some parts of the state still had snow until May.
Fire at the Requarth Lumber Company
When fire ignited the Requarth Lumber Company building at 2 am, only two firefighters responded to the call. Not long after, there wear 77 firefighters and 18 pieces of equipment to battle the blaze. Sightings of the fire were reported to be seen as far away as Preble and Darke Counties, 10 miles away.
Requarth incurred $650,000 in damages, but firefighters were able to save most of the main building. The storage sheds were almost completely destroyed. At first, faulty equipment was blamed for the blaze but soon after, it was discovered that arson was the cause. Samuel Edward Ross, who was a patient from the Dayton Mental Health Center, started the fire in the storage yard at the west corner.
Requarth Lumber Company
“Bought lumber for making ribs and uprights from Requarth Co..” – Orville Wright in his journal, January 19, 1904
Requarth Lumber was founded by Frederick August Requarth and Henry W. Meyer in 1860 as a small turning shop at Fourth Street and Wayne Avenue. They eventually moved to 447 East Monument Avenue in 1895, and have stayed there since.
Our 2020 Vision
Happy New Year, Dayton!!
We hope you had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, and that you all are as excited for what 2020 will bring as we are!
We wanted to share our “2020 Vision” with you for Dayton Unknown!
Dayton Unknown 