Upcoming Events

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  • Sideshow 17
    Friday May 17th, 5pm-10pm
    Saturday May 18th, 3pm-10pm

    Location: Yellow Cab Building
    700 East 4th Street, Dayton, OH 45402

    What to know: Dayton’s all volunteer, free, two day music and arts festival. Applications for artists and musicians due by April 1.

  • Total Solar Eclipse
    April 8th at 3:09pm

    Location: The sky!

    What to know: There are many watch parties organized for the eclipse! Check out Dayton Daily New’s list here!

  • Hopping in the Heights Egg Eggstravaganza
    Sunday, April 7, 5:30pm-7pm

    Location: Huber Heights (location TBA)

    What to know: Hopping in the Heights Eggstravaganza is a suicide prevention outreach to bring awareness to suicide prevention, and to focus our area youth, with a positive outreach approach that is spring boarded off Easter.
    Vendor-Hopping

  • 2024 Centerville Merchant Market
    Sunday, May 19, 12pm-5pm

    Location: The lawn outside St. Leonard Living Community
    8100 Clyo Rd, Centerville, OH 45458

    What to know:Over 100 vendors, live music, food trucks, drinks, and family friendly activities.

  • Kettering Community Garage Sale
    April 27, 2024, 9am-2 pm

    Location: Charles Lathrem Senior Center
    2900 Glengarry Dr, Dayton, OH 45420

    What to Know: Gently used and new items from 40 vendors, including craft supplies, decorations, books, outdoor items, tools, games, and more.

Plane hits House, 4 killed (1957)

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September 24th, 1957 – A plane crashed into a home at 1843 Tuttle Ave, killing both pilots and two at the home. Walter Geisler, who was mowing the lawn in the path of the crashing plane and his sister, Mildred VanZant, had come home early from her job at St. Elizabeth Hospital, where she was the Assistant Director of Nursing. Mildred’s husband, Herbert, was dragged to safety by three men who had smashed a window to get to him. He was taken to the hospital and treated for shock and a gash on his arm. Nobody else was injured. The couple’s daughter, Mary Catherine, was playing at a friend’s house 2 doors down and was far enough away to escape harm.

Also killed were Major James E. Melacon, Pilot and Captain Wilho R. Heikkinen, copilot.

The crew was performing a local training flight departing from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in a Martin B-26 Marauder. The twin engine aircraft lost control and crashed on Tuttle Avenue, destroying at least 4 homes. An investigation revealed the likely cause of the crash was a loose engine cowling moving forward into the propeller.

An Attempted Kidnapping in Miamisburg in 1906

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It was every parent’s worst nightmare in June 1906, Miamisburg – A young girl playing in an alley near the Hoover & Gamble machine shop was grabbed by a strange man. Harry Martin from Indiana placed his hand over her mouth and started down the Big 4 track carrying her in his arms. Luckily, her friend saw the abduction and screamed for help, rousing the young girl’s mother, Mrs. Pricket.

Mrs. Pricket called for help and a growing crowd of Miamisburg residents was able to quickly overtake Martin as he fled with the girl. He dropped the girl and ran but was pursued by the mob halfway to West Carrollton and captured.

Martin was preparing to jump into the river but, anticipating his actions, a man from the crowd threw a bottle at him and struck him on the head, leaving a severe gash. Martin was in a state of shock from which he did not recover until after his arrest.

The child was taken back to her parents, suffering no physical injury but was traumatized by the incident. Martin was a 29-year-old man, deemed a degenerate by the papers. He was partially intoxicated when he was arrested and claimed to not remember even seeing the girl. Standing before Mayor Reiter, Martin hesitated as if deliberating before entering a plea of guilty. He was bound over to the grand jury and his bond was $1000. He was placed in County Jail in Dayton.

Ten Years of Dayton Unknown

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On January 27th, 2014, Dayton Unknown shared our very first post. We have absolutely loved sharing our passion for Dayton with you all for the past ten years. We hope you have learned about Dayton from us, and hopefully developed a passon and appreciation for our wonderful city.
In the past ten years…

Most Popular Story: Hills and Dales Lookout Tower: The REAL Story
Sara’s Favorite Story: A Constable Finally Honored after 151 Years
Bethany’s Favorite Story: Other Daytons Part 1 and Part 2

As always, if you have any story ideas or questions you’d like us to look into, please let us know! There are so many ways to contact us – leave a comment down below, via the Contact Us page, send an email (daytonunknown@hotmail.com), send a message on Facebook or Instagram (@daytonunknown), etc.

Henry Stansel

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Henry Stansel was just 9 years old when the Revolutionary War started, but his family wasn’t too concerned. What was more concerning, were raids by the nearby Native Americans – but the Stansels often shared meals with the neighboring tribes, so they weren’t worried. Except one day in 1778, the Stansel boys discovered a group of Native Americans coming toward them from the woods all around them. The boys immediately tried to return to the settlement, but unfortunately one brother was shot, captured, and subsequently scalped.

Due to being slowed by an injured foot and shoes filled with water, Henry was captured by the Native Americans as they stole the horses from the settlement. Henry’s clothes were stripped from him, and he was forced to run through the trees while trying to keep up with the Native Americans on the stolen horses. When they finally stopped to camp, Henry was bound and tormented by his captors, as they callously showed him the scalp of his brother William. During his captivity, Henry was subjected to torture with the other prisoners, forced to run painful gauntlets and beatings.
Continue reading →

A Constable Finally Honored after 151 Years

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In Murder & Mayhem in Dayton and the Miami Valley, Sara wrote the story of John William Fogwell, a Beavercreek Constable who was killed as he headed home from Dayton. He had a warrant in his shirt pocket he intended to deliver on the way. His dying declaration identified his killer, William Ritchison. As it turns out, this story had the right audience. Steve Grismer, of Dayton Police History Foundation, read the story and realized Fogwell had never been honored as an officer who died in the line of duty.

Recently we learned he is officially [finally] honored on The Officers Down Memorial Page, just in time for the 151st anniversary of his death, which was October 31st. The next step (which is in process now) will be to submit paperwork to the committee for the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. If approved, his name will be engraved on the marble wall in Washington DC.

Constable J. William Fogwell
End of Watch Thursday, October 31, 1872

Reminder of Upcoming Craft Fair Events

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We’re excited for a few upcoming craft fairs/holiday bazaars. You might see us there!