A World A’Fair

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It’s that time of year again! The World A’Fair is a three-day international festival including food, dancing, music, and cultural exhibits. The theme this year is Folk Medicine, and booths from over 30 countries will represent their take on this theme.
Location:
Dayton Convention Center (DCC)
22 East 5th Street
Dayton, OH 45402

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Dayton Sideshow 12

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Dayton Sideshow 12 is coming up! Dayton Sideshow is a two-day community arts festival.

Come out and see a variety of artwork, such as installations, paintings, sculptures, etc., from more than 50 local artists while more than 50 musical acts play. Admission is free, but donations with be accepted to support the event.

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Exercise Dayton – Riverscape Inventors Walk

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Tired of the same exercise routine? Try visiting some of Dayton’s notable spots while you exercise!

Enjoy fresh air and history as you experience the Dayton Inventors River Walk.

The Route:

Starting with a brick medallion at the corner of Monument Avenue and Main Street, the Inventors Walk continues around Riverscape with informative tiles in the pavement, leading to the Automobile Self Starter, the first of 7 invention stations. Continue toward North Patterson Boulevard, visiting the Cash Register and Ice Cube sculptures. Cross the bridge on Patterson Boulevard to continue reading the tiles. Approximate distance is 1 mile (see map below).

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Miamisburg Mound

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Located at 900 Mound Street, Miamisburg Mound pre-dates Dayton – but it is very important to Dayton History. Here are some facts:

  • The Mound is actually a burial mound, and it is one of the largest conical mounds in North America, and is the largest conical mound in Ohio.

  • The Mound is listed on the National Register of Historic Places

  • Mounds like this served as cemeteries, and may have also marked boundary lines for tribal territories.

  • The Mound is 65 feet tall. It was originally 68 feet tall, before an excavation attempt in 1869.

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221 Years Ago, Tomorrow

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“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!”

– Charlotte Reeve Conover, The Story of Dayton.

Two hundred and twenty-one years ago tomorrow, Dayton was founded. To honor this occasion, we decided to share some of our favorite pictures we’ve taken around Dayton.

Also, please send us your favorite picture you’ve taken around Dayton, and we’ll feature it in a future blog post! You can send it to our email at daytonunknown@hotmail.com – and be sure to provide your name for photo credit!

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The History of Sinclair College

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“Find the need and endeavor to meet it.” – David Ainslie Sinclair

Although his tombstone in Woodland simply states “Secretary of the YMCA”, David Sinclair did much more for Dayton and its residents.

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Dayton Fun Facts

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Time for another round of small, but interesting facts we’ve found in our research!

  • Dayton is the 6th largest city in Ohio.
  • There are a few former Indian burial grounds: one at the corner of Water Street (now Monument Avenue) and Beckel Street (Beckel Street still currently exists in part, but no longer intersects with Monument Avenue), one on the Fairgrounds Hill, one on a knoll in Woodland Cemetery, one at the north end of the Dayton View Bridge, and one at the west end of the Third Street Bridge.
  • James S. Trent – for whom Trent Arena at Fairmont High School is named – was a superintendent and educator.
  • The Dayton Dragons, farm team for the Cincinnati Reds, have played ball downtown since 2000, and recently set the national professional sports record for consecutive sellout home games.

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David’s Cemetery Notable Burials

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Located at the corner of David Road and Mad River Road in Kettering, David’s Cemetery has many notable burials:

  • Harry Schwab – Dayton golfer, won Senior P.G.A., died July 25th, 1976
  • Hadley Watts – former Superintendent of Centerville Schools, died August 9th, 1969
  • Richard E. Kelchner – founder of Kelchner Excavating Company, died July 15th, 2002
  • Clark Haines – founder of NCR Band in 1973, died 6/23/2001

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    Dayton Firsts Part 11

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    • First Odd Fellows Lodge – The first lodge of Odd Fellowship in Dayton was known as Montgomery Lodge No. 5, and was instituted on May 3, 1833.
    • First Museum – A committee met at the courthouse on September 16, 1837, to organize a “zoological museum.” A room was secured at the head of the canal basin but the project was abandoned shortly after.
    • First City Charter – On March 27, 1841, by a special act of the legislature, Dayton emerged from the classification of a town to that of a city.

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