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!
| Topic | Date | Time | Location |
| Dayton Area Cryptids | August 26th | 1pm | Dayton Metro Library Main Branch 215 East 3rd Street, Dayton, OH 45402 |
| Murder & Mayhem in Dayton and the Miami Valley | September 16th | 10:30am | Dayton Metro Library Burkhardt Branch 4704 Burkhardt Ave, Dayton, OH 45403 |
| The Research Process | September 18th | 6pm | Troy-Miami County Public Library 419 West Main Street, Troy, Ohio 45373 |
| Dayton Ghosts & Legends | September 30th | 2pm | Dayton Metro Library Main Branch 215 East 3rd Street, Dayton, OH 45402 |
| Dayton Ghosts & Legends | October 3rd | 6:30pm | Dayton Metro Library Miamisburg Branch 545 E Linden Ave, Miamisburg, OH 45342 |
| Urban Legends | October 5th | 7pm | Dayton Metro Library Huber Heights Branch 6243 Brandt Pike, Huber Heights, OH 45424 |
| First Friday Book Signing | October 6th | 6pm | Bonnett’s Books (Oregon District) 502 East Fifth Street, Dayton, OH 45402 |
| Urban Legends | October 7th | 11am | Dayton Metro Library Brookville Branch 120 Blue Pride Drive, Brookville, OH 45309 |
| Book Signing/Selling at Huber Heights Trunk or Treat | October 8th | 1pm | Thomas Cloud Park 4707 Brandt Pike, Huber Heights, OH 45424 |
| Urban Legends | October 12th | 4:30pm | Dayton Metro Library Burkhardt Branch 4704 Burkhardt Ave, Dayton, OH 45403 |
| Dayton Ghosts & Legends | October 12th | 6:30pm | Dayton Metro Library Burkhardt Branch 4704 Burkhardt Ave, Dayton, OH 45403 |
| Dayton Ghosts & Legends | October 15th | 2pm | Wright Memorial Public Library 1776 Far Hills Avenue, Dayton, OH 45419 |
| Dayton Ghosts & Legends | October 16th | 7pm | Dayton Metro Library West Carrollton Branch 300 East Central Avenue, West Carrollton, OH, 45449 |
| Urban Legends | October 17th | 6pm | Dayton Metro Library Trotwood Branch 855 E Main Street, Trotwood, OH, 45426 |
| Dayton Ghosts & Legends | October 18th | 6:30pm | Troy-Miami County Public Library 419 West Main Street, Troy, Ohio 45373 |
| Urban Legends | October 19th | 6pm | Dayton Metro Library Northmont Branch 700 West National Road, Englewood, OH, 45322 |
| Book Selling/Signing at Fairborn Halloween Festival | October 20-22 | TBD | Secret Chamber House of Oddities and Artwork 17 West Main Street, Fairborn, OH 45324 |
| Dayton Ghosts & Legends | October 23rd | 6:30pm | Brown Memorial Public Library 101 Commerce Street, Lewisburg, OH 45338 |
| Dayton Ghosts & Legends | October 24th | 6pm | Dayton Metro Library Vandalia Branch 330 South Dixie Drive, Vandalia, OH, 45377 |
| Dayton Ghosts & Legends | October 26th | 6pm | Dayton Metro Library Northmont Branch 700 West National Road, Englewood, OH 45322 |
| Hauntfest | October 28th | TBD | Details TBD |
| Urban Legends | October 30th | 6:30pm | Dayton Metro Library Kettering-Moraine Branch 3496 Far Hills Ave, Kettering, OH 45429 |
| Urban Legends | November 4th | 2pm | Dayton Metro Library Wilmington-Stroop Branch 3980 Wilmington Pike, Kettering, OH 45429 |
| Dayton Ghosts & Legends | November 20th | 7pm | Miamisburg History Center 35 South 5th Street, Miamisburg, OH 45342 |
| Dayton Area Cryptids | February 17th, 2024 | 4pm | Miami Township Library 2718 Lyons Road, Miamisburg, OH 45342 |
Join us in celebrating Dayton Ghosts & Legends
Dayton Ghosts & Legends Comes out August 14th!
Please join us in celebrating Sara’s book release on Saturday, August 19th in the Oregon District.
The “Big Wind” in 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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1914 Dayton Ghost Stories – Did the Doctor See Mother’s Ghost?
E.E. Alderman & His Postcards
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.
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.
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
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.
The Kettering Bug – The World’s First Drone
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
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.
Dayton Facts
- Stivers School for the Arts was named for Civil War Veteran, Captain Charles Bryan Stivers, who later became a school principal.
- Hedgeapple plants (aka Osage orange trees) were planted in the 1820s in Bellbrook as fences. A salesman came to Bellbrook and sold them to the farmers and pioneers, touting their ability to keep the cattle in and the hardness of the wood to make wheel spokes.
- Middletown was named because its founder, Daniel Doty, estimated it was roughly equidistant between Cincinnati and Dayton.
- Bellbrook Magnetic Springs was once considered to be a magic spot. Legend is that the native Americans believed the water was medicinal and came from all around to drink it. A similar legend holds in Yellow Springs, and it is believed the Yellow Spring water attracts supernatural energy. Maybe that’s why Bellbrook has so many hauntings?
- The oldest known grave in Miami Valley is Henry Stettler, who died January 28, 1791.
More Street Names:
- Broadwell — Silas Broadwell, a town marshal.
- Chickahominy and Chickamauga Avenues — both are named for Civil War battles.
- Master Avenue – Named for the Master Electric Company
- The popular angel monument at Woodland is the grave of Asa McMillan, who operated a wool manufacturing company. The McMillAn Angel base and cross were carved from Dayton Limestone and the angel was sculpted in Italy from Carerra Marble. The right arm is resting on a stone slab and a rag in her left hand to symbolize wiping a slate clean after death and past sins are forgiven.
- During excavation at Research Park for a DP&L building, the remains of two people were discovered. The coroner and an archeological firm were called out to investigate. An estimated 75 bodies were buried at the location, which is believed to be the site of a 19th century Shaker cemetery, as the Shakers once lived on that section of land.
Dayton Unknown 