Tag Archives: Dayton Unknown

Other Daytons (Part 1)

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Did you know that there are 29 other Daytons in the US? Between two posts, we’ll be sharing a bit of information about them.

Fun fact – we gathered the most recent census information available and tallied it up to compare to our beloved Dayton:
Dayton, Ohio – population of 137,644
Other Daytons – total combined population of 126,837

  1. Dayton, Alabama – Founded in 1832 and nearly destroyed by a tornado in 1852.
  2. Dayton, California – unincorporated town formerly known as Day Town and Grainland. A post office named Grainland was both established and closed in 1867, reopened in 1873, closed again in 1892 to be opened again in 1893, then closed permanently in 1902.
  3. Dayton, Idaho – originally known as Franklin Meadows, and was settled in1867 by Joseph Chadwick, who built a log cabin by Five Mile Creek. Named Dayton in 1906.
  4. Dayton, Illinois (Henry County) – one of the oldest towns in Henry County, and was founded in 1836.
  5. Dayton, Illinois (LaSalle County) – a very small census-designated place (CDP) named after Dayton, Ohio, as a large amount of the early settlers were from here.
  6. Dayton, Indiana – formally known as Fairfield until 1830.
  7. Dayton, Iowa – named after Dayton, Ohio and has a post office that has been in operation since 1877.

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Upcoming Events for Sara

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We had a great time at the Book Release Celebration this weekend in the Oregon District. Thanks to all who came out!

Sara is going to have a very busy fall – she will be giving author talks for both of her books, and presentations on Dayton Area cryptids and Urban Legends. All of these events are on our Events Calendar, but here is a consolidated list for you!

TopicDateTimeLocation
Dayton Area CryptidsAugust 26th1pmDayton Metro Library
Main Branch
215 East 3rd Street, Dayton, OH 45402
Murder & Mayhem in Dayton and the Miami ValleySeptember 16th10:30amDayton Metro Library
Burkhardt Branch
4704 Burkhardt Ave, Dayton, OH 45403
The Research ProcessSeptember 18th6pmTroy-Miami County Public Library
419 West Main Street, Troy, Ohio 45373
Dayton Ghosts & LegendsSeptember 30th2pmDayton Metro Library
Main Branch
215 East 3rd Street, Dayton, OH 45402
Dayton Ghosts & LegendsOctober 3rd6:30pmDayton Metro Library
Miamisburg Branch
545 E Linden Ave, Miamisburg, OH 45342
Urban LegendsOctober 5th7pmDayton Metro Library
Huber Heights Branch
6243 Brandt Pike, Huber Heights, OH 45424
First Friday Book SigningOctober 6th6pmBonnett’s Books (Oregon District)
502 East Fifth Street, Dayton, OH 45402
Urban LegendsOctober 7th11amDayton Metro Library
Brookville Branch
120 Blue Pride Drive, Brookville, OH 45309
Book Signing/Selling at Huber Heights Trunk or TreatOctober 8th1pmThomas Cloud Park
4707 Brandt Pike, Huber Heights, OH 45424
Urban LegendsOctober 12th4:30pmDayton Metro Library
Burkhardt Branch
4704 Burkhardt Ave, Dayton, OH 45403
Dayton Ghosts & LegendsOctober 12th6:30pmDayton Metro Library
Burkhardt Branch
4704 Burkhardt Ave, Dayton, OH 45403
Dayton Ghosts & LegendsOctober 15th2pmWright Memorial Public Library
1776 Far Hills Avenue, Dayton, OH 45419
Dayton Ghosts & LegendsOctober 16th7pmDayton Metro Library
West Carrollton Branch
300 East Central Avenue, West Carrollton, OH, 45449
Urban LegendsOctober 17th6pmDayton Metro Library
Trotwood Branch
855 E Main Street, Trotwood, OH, 45426
Dayton Ghosts & LegendsOctober 18th6:30pmTroy-Miami County Public Library
419 West Main Street, Troy, Ohio 45373
Urban LegendsOctober 19th6pmDayton Metro Library
Northmont Branch
700 West National Road, Englewood, OH, 45322
Book Selling/Signing at Fairborn Halloween FestivalOctober 20-22TBDSecret Chamber House of Oddities and Artwork
17 West Main Street, Fairborn, OH 45324
Dayton Ghosts & LegendsOctober 23rd6:30pmBrown Memorial Public Library
101 Commerce Street, Lewisburg, OH 45338
Dayton Ghosts & LegendsOctober 24th6pmDayton Metro Library
Vandalia Branch
330 South Dixie Drive, Vandalia, OH, 45377
Dayton Ghosts & LegendsOctober 26th6pmDayton Metro Library
Northmont Branch
700 West National Road, Englewood, OH 45322
HauntfestOctober 28thTBDDetails TBD
Urban LegendsOctober 30th6:30pmDayton Metro Library
Kettering-Moraine Branch
3496 Far Hills Ave, Kettering, OH 45429
Urban LegendsNovember 4th2pmDayton Metro Library
Wilmington-Stroop Branch
3980 Wilmington Pike, Kettering, OH 45429
Dayton Ghosts & LegendsNovember 20th7pmMiamisburg History Center
35 South 5th Street, Miamisburg, OH 45342
Dayton Area CryptidsFebruary 17th, 20244pmMiami Township Library
2718 Lyons Road, Miamisburg, OH 45342

Dayton Ghosts & Legends Comes out August 14th!

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Sara’s second book Dayton Ghosts & Legends is being released this coming Monday, August 14th! You can buy the book directly from Sara at one of her many upcoming events (check our Events Calendar for dates), or from Sara’s website.

Please join us in celebrating Sara’s book release on Saturday, August 19th in the Oregon District.SKK Book Celebration

The “Big Wind” in 1871

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“Something like a tornado” visited Dayton on Sunday July 9, 1871, read the newspaper headline on Monday, July 10, 1871.

The storm, described as less than a tornado and more of a “big wind”, blew through “creating great havoc in property and destroying precious human lives. The storm, which was a furious one, lasted about 30 minutes. It began in the northwest with a sultry atmosphere and a temperature of 96 degrees. About 2 p.m. there were angry growlings and menacing streaks of lightning above the horizon. There were a few drops of rain, a sudden rush of wind and the storm came on furiously. Branches fluttered in the air, shade trees went down in the gutters, signs were flung about like flails, great steeples, by the wind, swung to and fro like the tops of tall pine trees. The thunder was terrific, the lightning vivid, the wind most furious and the rain poured down as though the flood-gates of heaven had opened for a deluge.”
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E.E. Alderman & His Postcards

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Back in May of 2014, we shared a quick blurb about E.E. Alderman:

E. E. Alderman, a Daytonian interested in short wave reception, relayed thousands of messages to families during WWII. Families received news of whether their loved ones had died, were prisoners, or were coming home. By doing this for the Dayton community, it is estimated that he relayed messages to over 9,000 families.

As a result of this, one of our readers reached out to us to share two postcards that E.E. Alderman sent about his grandfather, Private G.M. Brown.

The first postcard, dated December 12, 1944, was addressed to the postmaster of Canandaigua, New York to notify the kin of Brown’s capture by the Germans.

12-12-1944 Front

12-12-1944 Back

The second post card was to Brown’s sister Doris, dated December 22, 1944. This message thanked her for her contribution to Alderman’s endeavors and notifying her that her brother was safe and well, although still a Prisoner of War.

12-22-1944 Front

12-22-1944 Back

Our reader, Pete Granger, has donated these postcards and many other documents related to his grandfather’s service to the National Infantry Museum & Soldier Center.

Johnny Morehouse

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If you ask any research author what the bane of their existence is, it’s when they publish their research on any topic just to find more information after publishing.In 2014 Dayton Unknown posted a story about Johnny Morehouse, and over the years we’ve gathered much more information about both his life and afterlife.

John Newton Morehouse, Jr. (known as Johnny) was born in 1855, the younger son of John Newton Morehouse, Sr., and Mary Margaret (Browning) Morehouse. John and Mary were married December 23, 1851. John Sr. was a shoe cobbler and the family lived in the back of their shoe repair store. By the time of Johnny’s death on August 14, 1860, John Sr. was divorced from Mary and married to Barbara, his second wife.

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The Kettering Bug – The World’s First Drone

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In 1917, the US Army asked Charles F. Kettering to design an unmanned “flying machine” which could hit a target from 40 miles away. Kettering designed the Kettering Aerial Torpedo (later known as the Kettering Bug) and it was built by the Dayton-Wright Airplane Company, with Orville Wright acting as the aeronautical consultant on the project. The Kettering Bug was a predecessor of today’s cruise missiles and UAVs.

Launched using a dolly-and-track system (similar to how the first flight was launched), the Bug was capable of striking targets up to 75 miles away and could travel at speeds of 50 miles per hour. The Bug consisted of an engine, fuselage, and wings and cost about $400 each to produce. The fuselage was made out of papier-mache and wood laminates, and the wings were built out of cardboard. The Bug also had a small onboard gyroscope to guide the Bug to its target.
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Phil the Werewolf

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Recently the City of Piqua asked Halloween Loving Mary Simmon’s to take down her “seasonal wolf decoration”. The statue, which Mary named Phil, is a 10-foot werewolf statue Mary didn’t take down after Halloween.

Although most of her neighbors and the commenters online love the statue and want it to stay, a few complainers have reported her to the city. The complaints prompted the notice, but Piqua has also said that Simmons can keep Phil up if she wants.

To continue with the “seasonal” label, Simmons is looking into dressing Phil for holidays, including a Thanksgiving outfit.