Tag Archives: kettering ohio

John H. Wartinger and Wartinger Park

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On Kemp Road, about a quarter mile from North Fairfield Road in Beavercreek, sits Wartinger Park. The designated historical park is owned by the City of Beavercreek and was named for John Wartinger. Building Codes at the time required that green space be set aside while plotting a development, and about 5 acres were set aside for a park – later 4.3 acres, as Beavercreek Fire Station #3 was built. The park was cared for by the Flower Trail Garden Club from 1976 until 1983, when it was turned over to the City of Beavercreek.

In 1975, Wartinger Park was named for John Wartinger, who served his community in several ways:
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Fairmont Firebird Symbol

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Most Kettering residents have a connection to Kettering Fairmont, whether it’s because they attended or they have children who do/did. For those they can easily remember the blue and white school colors and the beloved mascot, the firebird. For some residents, they can even remember Fairmont East and Fairmont West.

Fairmont was originally opened in September 1906 on Dorothy Lane just west of Far Hills. As the population of Van Buren Township grew, the four-room schoolhouse was quickly becoming too small. A replacement building just east of the original building became the temporary high school until the new building on Far Hills at Storms Avenue (where Van Buren Middle School is now) opened in 1929. The school colors were purple and white, and the mascot was a Dragon.
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Upcoming Festivals 2021

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Summer is here and life is slowly returning to normal. With this in mind, here are the statuses of some of the nearby festivals coming this summer:

On for Festivities:

    • Dayton Pride Parade & Festival – Friday, June 4th and Saturday, June 5th in Downtown Dayton
    • Jewish Cultural Festival – Temple Israel with be hosting on June 11th as a drive-thru event
    • Lebanon Country Music Festival – Friday June 11th and Saturday June 12th on Main Street in Lebanon
    • Celtic Festival Ohio – June 19th, 11am-11pm at Renaissance Fairgrounds in Waynesville
    • Waynesville Street Faire – June 19th, July 17th, August 14th, and September 11th, Main Street in Waynesville
    • Lights in Flight Festival and Fireworks Show – July 4th, 5-10 pm at Riverscape

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Kettering Seeking Tree Committee Members

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For almost 4 decades, The Arbor Foundation has considered Kettering to be a “Tree City USA.”

To maintain this status, Kettering must: maintain a tree board or department, have a community tree ordinance, spend at least $2 per capita on urban forestry, and celebrate Arbor Day.

To fill these needs, Kettering is seeking 4 residents to be Tree Committee members on a voluntary basis.

For more information, check out the City of Kettering website.

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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All-Day Kindergarten in Kettering

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This fall will start the first year of all-day Kindergarten for Kettering Schools. Voters approved the school levy by a ratio of 55 to 45.

The levy will also enhance other areas of the Kettering School system, such as:

  • Security Cameras and Door Barricades
  • Background Checks for Volunteers
  • More Mental Health Services
  • Additional School Resource Officers
  • Expanded Career Readiness Expansion

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It’s Our 5th Anniversary!

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On January 27th, 2014, Dayton Unknown shared our very first post.

Since then…

170 Posts
52,095 Views
750 Followers on WordPress
387 Posts on Instagram
2,414 Followers on Instagram
288 Likes on Facebook
So many wonderful people met.
And an unquantifiable amount of facts learned about Dayton.

Here are a few highlights of the past five years:

We are so excited to see what the future holds for us!

As always, if you have any story ideas or questions you’d like us to look into, please let us know! There are so many ways to contact us – leave a comment down below, via the Contact Us page, send an email (daytonunknown@hotmail.com), send a message on Facebook or Instagram (@daytonunknown), etc..