Happy New Year, Dayton! We hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday season. Now it’s time to get back into the grind! As it’s the first Friday of the month, we have some more Dayton firsts for you!

• First Stage Line – the route for stage coaches between Dayton and Cincinnati was started in 1818, by a Mr. Lyon.

• First Sewing Machine – Brought to Dayton by an S. N. Shear, on October 11, 1851.

• First Lion – The first lion to be exhibited in Dayton was shown on April 22nd, 1819 in the barnyard at Reid’s Inn, which later became the site of Loew’s theater (at 125 North Main Street). The first elephant ever seen here was shown at the same place on April 11, 1820.

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