Check back on April 1st for a new post!
Dayton Unknown is going on Hiatus!
Due to the upcoming holidays, Dayton Unknown has decided to take a break until the New Year.
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If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.
Thanks!
Hometown Eats – Part 4
Looking for a place to eat dinner this weekend? Check out these local restaurants!
- Thai 9 – Thai & Sushi
– 11 Brown Street, Dayton
– Business Casual Dress Code – Jeans and tshirt accepted, no tank tops. - El Meson – Hispanic Food/Tapas
– 903 East Dixie Drive
– Gluten Free and Vegetarian Friendly - Carver’s Steak & Chops
– 1535 Miamisburg Centerville Road
– Happy Hour 5-7 Weekdays - Boston’s Bistro & Pub
– 7500 North Main Street, Dayton
– Say hi to Dave the owner for us!
Owner David Boston with Millionaire Matchmaker’s Justin Bird.
- Barnsider Restaurant
– 5202 North Main Street
– Great Service! - Crazy Mango Bar & Bistro
– 81 Magnolia Lane, The Greene
– Eat outside for a great atmosphere!
Prominent Local Figures: James Ritty
After opening his first saloon in Dayton, James “Jake” Ritty had a problem.
Jake’s employees were stealing, and he could not prove it. Stressed over the deficit in his profits, Jake decided to sail to Europe to get away for a while.
Esther Price – Dayton’s Sweetheart
Christmas in Dayton isn’t complete until a box of Esther Price candy has passed through your hands.
Although the business got its start in 1926, Esther Price’s roots as a candy maker go back to a 7th grade Home Economics class. After partnering with her classmate to make fudge the first time, Esther kept her share to give to her mother, but decided instead to eat that share and make more when she got home. A love affair with candy was born.
Esther started making candy for income while she worked at Rike’s, selling candy to her coworkers to supplement her income. After leaving the job to stay at home with a growing family, Esther started making candy to help make ends meet while her husband Ralph worked at the National Biscuit Company.
Hometown Eats – Part 3
Hungry? Check out these local restaurants!
- Hawthorn Grill – Comfort Food
– 1222 E Stroop Rd, Kettering
– Stop in for some “Comfort on a Plate” - Olive, An Urban Dive – Paleo, Vegan, Gluten free, and multi-allergy friendly.
– 416 W Third Street, Dayton
– The website recommends calling ahead for reservations - Jay’s Seafood
– 225 E. Sixth Street, Dayton
– The seafood is always fresh! - Coco’s Bistro
– 250 Warren Street, Dayton
– Reservations are not required, but recommended. - Fusian –Sushi
– 1200 Brown Street Ste 125, Dayton
– Make your own sushi! - Amber Rose – Eastern European Cuisine
– 1400 Valley Street, Dayton
– Try the cabbage rolls!
Dayton Inventions – Part 3
- Stepladder – John Balsley, 1862.
- Ice Cream Cone Dispenser – Alexander McLaren, 1919.
- Electric Furnace for cars – Charles L. Lee, 1923.
- Air Conditioner (window/wall units) – Robert R. Candor, 1943.
Woodland Cemetery Series: Matilda Stanley – Queen of the Gypsies
Matilda Stanley holds records. She holds one record for being the person held in Woodland’s receiving vault the longest, one for being the most loved Gypsy queen recorded, and also the only known gypsy funeral to be presided over by an “outsider”, Reverend David Berger. At an estimated 15-25k people, Matilda’s funeral is also the biggest one to have been seen in Dayton.
Matilda married her husband Levi in Berkshire, England and together with their families, moved to the United States in 1856. They chose Dayton as their summer headquarters, heading south every winter to live in warmer weather, the procession down Main street a spectacle.
Because record keeping was not very stringent, Matilda’s exact date of birth can only be guessed as sometime in 1821. Her date of death is more concrete, confirmed as January 15, 1878. Woodland held her body in the receiving vault until September of that year, in order to give friends and family time to travel from all over the world to attend her funeral.
Local Street Names – Part 4
Curious about the names of streets around Dayton? Here’s a few namesakes:
- Eaker Street: Mary Belle Eaker, a local philanthropist who gave her home to the YMCA.
- Gummer Avenue: named for Henry R. Gummer, a co-founder of the Gem City Stove Company.
- Gunckel: named after Lewis B. Gunckel, a politician, congressman, and attorney.
- Harries Street: J. W. Harries, a local brewer.
Ermal Fraze
If you have consumed any beverage from a can, you can thank Ermal “Ernie” Fraze for inventing the pull-top tab used to open it.
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