If you’ve visited Woodland Cemetery, you may have seen this life-size, imposing monument of a man, its statue often startling guards at night. The man’s specifications and dimensions in stone match his exact measurements in real life, with careful attention to every detail, from the buttons on his suit to his piercing eyes.
Tag Archives: Dayton history
Dayton Firsts Part 12
- First Telegraph Message – Received in Dayton on September 17, 1847.
- First United Brethren Church – The first United Brethren church in Dayton was organized in 1847, in a small room in the Oregon Engine House. Their first church building was erected in 1852, at Sixth Street and Logan Street, later being purchased by the city and converted into a city prison.
- First Gas Company – Chartered February 4, 1848, by Daniel Beckel, Peter Voorhees, Daniel Stout, I.F. Howells, David Winter, J.D. Loomis, J.D. Phillips, Valentine Winters, John Mills and Daniel W. Weelock.
- First Hebrew congregation – The first Hebrew congregation was organized in 1850. They met in the old Dayton Bank building until 1863, when they purchased the old Baptist house of worship.
Natalie Clifford Barney
“I built a fire to welcome her
And my voice sighed
Aloud her name. To be with her
This night, I would have died…”
Natalie Clifford Barney was born in Dayton, Ohio in 1876, to an affluent family. By age twelve, Natalie knew she was a lesbian. Although society in the late 1800’s was very conservative, Natalie knew she would “Live openly, without hiding anything.”
Natalie developed an interest in the French language as a child. Her governess often read Jules Vern stores aloud to her in French, and she had to learn the language quickly to understand the stories. In adulthood, Natalie was fluent in French, and published most of her work in French.
Steins, Stems, Savories and Sweets
You can’t get more Dayton than this! Steins, Stems, Savories and Sweets is this weekend!
Enjoy treats from Dayton vendors such as:
Steins:
Fifth Street Brewpub
Warped Wing Brewing Co.
Carillon Brewing Co.
Stems:
Rumbleseat Wine
Miamisburg Mound
Located at 900 Mound Street, Miamisburg Mound pre-dates Dayton – but it is very important to Dayton History. Here are some facts:
- The Mound is actually a burial mound, and it is one of the largest conical mounds in North America, and is the largest conical mound in Ohio.
- The Mound is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
- Mounds like this served as cemeteries, and may have also marked boundary lines for tribal territories.
- The Mound is 65 feet tall. It was originally 68 feet tall, before an excavation attempt in 1869.
221 Years Ago, Tomorrow
“The boat party was the first to arrive. Rounding the curve in the river, where for so many years since then it has been flowing under the Dayton View bridge, the pioneers perceived before their eyes the swift current of Mad River emptying itself into the main channel, just as it had been described, and saying to each other (so we may imagine), ‘Yes, this must be the place,’ they tied the pirogue to a tree at the head of St. Clair Street and led by Mrs. Thompson, all clambered ashore.
At that moment DAYTON came on the map!”
– Charlotte Reeve Conover, The Story of Dayton.
Two hundred and twenty-one years ago tomorrow, Dayton was founded. To honor this occasion, we decided to share some of our favorite pictures we’ve taken around Dayton.
Also, please send us your favorite picture you’ve taken around Dayton, and we’ll feature it in a future blog post! You can send it to our email at daytonunknown@hotmail.com – and be sure to provide your name for photo credit!
The History of Sinclair College
“Find the need and endeavor to meet it.” – David Ainslie Sinclair
Although his tombstone in Woodland simply states “Secretary of the YMCA”, David Sinclair did much more for Dayton and its residents.
Dayton Fun Facts
Time for another round of small, but interesting facts we’ve found in our research!
- Dayton is the 6th largest city in Ohio.
- There are a few former Indian burial grounds: one at the corner of Water Street (now Monument Avenue) and Beckel Street (Beckel Street still currently exists in part, but no longer intersects with Monument Avenue), one on the Fairgrounds Hill, one on a knoll in Woodland Cemetery, one at the north end of the Dayton View Bridge, and one at the west end of the Third Street Bridge.
- James S. Trent – for whom Trent Arena at Fairmont High School is named – was a superintendent and educator.
- The Dayton Dragons, farm team for the Cincinnati Reds, have played ball downtown since 2000, and recently set the national professional sports record for consecutive sellout home games.
David’s Cemetery Notable Burials
Located at the corner of David Road and Mad River Road in Kettering, David’s Cemetery has many notable burials:
Harry Schwab – Dayton golfer, won Senior P.G.A., died July 25th, 1976
Hadley Watts – former Superintendent of Centerville Schools, died August 9th, 1969
Richard E. Kelchner – founder of Kelchner Excavating Company, died July 15th, 2002
Clark Haines – founder of NCR Band in 1973, died 6/23/2001
Dayton Firsts Part 11
- First Odd Fellows Lodge – The first lodge of Odd Fellowship in Dayton was known as Montgomery Lodge No. 5, and was instituted on May 3, 1833.
- First Museum – A committee met at the courthouse on September 16, 1837, to organize a “zoological museum.” A room was secured at the head of the canal basin but the project was abandoned shortly after.
- First City Charter – On March 27, 1841, by a special act of the legislature, Dayton emerged from the classification of a town to that of a city.
Dayton Unknown 