Tag Archives: Dayton history

Edwin C. Moses

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“Lots of people let it go by and never accomplish what they want. I just wanted to see what I could do.” – Edwin C. Moses

Edwin Corley Moses was born in 1955 in Dayton, Ohio. As the son of two educators, Edwin took academics seriously. In addition to being an excellent student, he was also a gifted athlete.

During high school, Edwin participated briefly in basketball and football, but soon turned to Track and Field. Edwin accepted an academic scholarship to Morehouse College, majoring in Physics and Industrial Engineering. Morehouse College did not have its own track, so Edwin practiced on nearby high school tracks. He competed mostly in 120-yard hurdles and the 440-yard dash. Edwin attributed his success at running to applying his knowledge of the mechanics of running and lots of stretching. He had a trademark technique, taking a consistent 13 steps between each hurdle instead of the usual 14, causing him to get ahead in the 2nd half of the race as his competitors changed their strides.

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Dayton Sights: Places of Worship

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“When I think of a place of worship, I think of a place where one can sit and be reminded of all the things that are important outside our individual lives. To express spirituality, the architect has to think of the original material of architecture, space and light.” – Richard Meier

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Trains & Trolleys

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The first street car line in Dayton was built by the Dayton Street Railway Company, which was chartered in 1869 with John V. Kreidler as the first superintendent.The line extended from the land of W.P. Huffman on East Third Street, to the land of H.S. Williams on West Third Street. One hour and 20 minutes was required to make the round trip from Western Avenue to Findlay Street.

DSR Trolley Train

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Andrew Walsh & Lost Dayton, Ohio

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Writer, Dayton Historian, Librarian…Andrew Walsh can add one more title to his resume: published author. In his book, Lost Dayton, Ohio, Andrew covers many historical Dayton structures lost to time and urban renewal and revitalization efforts.

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A transplant to Dayton in 2013 from Wisconsin, Andrew became interested in the historical architecture of Dayton as he viewed Dayton from his window at Dayton Towers. Although Andrew no longer lives there, his fascination continues.

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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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Liberty Tower

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After the flood of 1913, Second Street faced a new frontier. As it had previously been occupied by mansions and apartment buildings, the flood pushed residents away from downtown, moving them to Salem Avenue and Far Hills Avenue. This created the prime opportunity for development.

Planning for the Liberty Tower started in 1929, and construction started the next year. It took 11 months to create what was Dayton’s tallest building at that time. Liberty Tower was the tallest building in Dayton from 1931 until the construction of the Kettering Tower in 1969. The Mutual Home Building, as it was known then, was built out of concrete and steel and 23 stories tall. Attendants manned the garages and state-of-the-art elevators, giving an air of elegance.

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Interesting Street Names

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  • Cline Street – Once known as Zigzag Street because it ran along an open ditch, called Seely’s ditch, but has long since been straightened.
  • Hoover Avenue – Not named for the president, but for local residents and the Hoover Park plat developed in 1917.
  • Demphle Avenue – named for Sebastion Demphle, a local stove dealer.
  • Babbitt Street – A T.S. Babbitt lived at First Street and Bridge Street, later Stratford Lane.
  • Kiefaber Street – named after Warner Harshman Kiefaber Sr, who graduated from St Mary’s Institute class of 1905 and later founded the W.H Kiefaber Company on Keowee Street and Monument Avenue in 1920.

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Water you doing, Dayton?

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In the late 1800s, sinks had 3 faucets. Far left was hot rainwater, far right was cold, and the middle was Holly Water. Also known as drinking water, Holly Water got its name because the first city waterworks used Holly’s Patent Elliptical Rotary Pumps to get water from two wells. The rainwater came from cisterns in people’s yards, collected from roof runoff and brought into the house via pumps.

Before Holly Water, residents drank well water, benefiting from the filtering effects of the porous sub-soil. By the 1860s as more and more people moved into Dayton, those water sources became compromised, with an increasing amount of cesspools infringing on the borders of these wells. This led to the first Board of Health being created in 1868. A Committee was formed to address the issues, ultimately choosing the “Holly System.”

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