Tag Archives: Charles F. Kettering

This Day in History – June 24th, 1955

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Happy 65th Birthday, Kettering!

On June 24, 1955, an official proclamation from the Ohio Secretary of State elevated the Village of Kettering to an official city.

A few facts about Kettering:

  • Kettering has two sister cities: Steyr, Austria and Kettering, England.
  • Kettering was named after Charles Fitzgerald Kettering, a resident of the community and prominent inventor and innovator.
  • According to the 2010 census, Kettering has 56,163 residents.

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Colonel Edward Deeds

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Colonel Edward Deeds is a name we all know around here in Dayton. Deeds was an engineer and inventor who helped to shape the history of Dayton, and establish Dayton as a center of innovation.

Edward Andrew Deeds was born on a farm in Granville, Ohio on March 12th, 1874. Deeds graduated as valedictorian from Denison University in 1897 and came to Dayton in 1898 to work as an Electrical Engineer for the Thresher company. In the same building was the headquarters of NCR, and in 1899, Frederick Patterson offered Deeds a position at “the Cash.”

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This Day in History – February 2nd, 1923

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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 – August 29th, 1876

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On August 29, 1876, Charles F. Kettering was born in a farmhouse near Loudonville, Ohio. After graduating high school, Kettering taught at rural schools to save for college tuition. He enrolled at the College of Wooster but had to drop out due to problems with his eyesight. He returned to teaching until he enrolled at Ohio State University, but again he had to drop out due to his eyesight. After a brief stint as a lineman, Kettering returned to Ohio State, this time graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in mechanical and electrical engineering.

As an engineer, Kettering invented an electric cash register that eliminated the need for a hand crank, developed the first self-starting auto ignition system, and organized the Dayton Engineering Laboratories Company (Delco). Kettering had more than 140 patents.

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Adam Schantz, Jr.

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Adam Schantz, Jr. was born December 16, 1867 on River Street in Dayton, Ohio. Son of Adam Schantz, Sr. and Salome Schantz, he joined his father in the meat-packing industry at the age of twelve. Later on, he became the bookkeeper for the brewery run by his father and uncle. Once he turned twenty-one, he controlled almost all of his father’s interests.

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After Adam Sr. died, Adam Jr. became executor of the Schantz Estate. Adam Jr. was recognized as having made more changes to the Dayton skyline than anyone else. Ludlow Street was virtually rebuilt by him.

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