Recently I reflected on the golden age of retail in downtown Dayton, tracing the history of Rike's, Elder-Beerman, and other popular downtown department and specialty stores. Today the environment is much different, with many local businesses struggling to survive and only a … [Read more...] about The Decline of Downtown Retail post-1950: Suburbanization, Urban Renewal, and More
Bommy’s Bar, Dayton’s First Apartments, and Riverview Park
The image above depicts a popular saloon known as "Bommy's Place" that once stood off of Salem Ave just across the Great Miami River in Dayton View. It was owned by Fred Bomhard who opened it in 1896. The establishment was known as "one of the best-known and most popular … [Read more...] about Bommy’s Bar, Dayton’s First Apartments, and Riverview Park
West First Street – Dayton’s Old Park Avenue
The story of Downtown Dayton from the 19th century through the first half of the 20th largely involves the transition from homes to office buildings and other larger structures. Then in the 1950s and 60s still more were removed for parking and some whole areas were cleared … [Read more...] about West First Street – Dayton’s Old Park Avenue
What’s the Story Behind Downtown’s Pretzinger Lane?
One of the shortest streets downtown can be found just across from the south side of the Dayton Arcade. Pretzinger Lane is a mid-block street that runs only from Fourth to Fifth, and it offers nice vistas as one walks down it but overall is a bit of a curious case. … [Read more...] about What’s the Story Behind Downtown’s Pretzinger Lane?
Historic Warehouse For Sale at Auction – 620 Geyer
A former industrial building in the Riverdale neighborhood of Dayton is currently listed at auction online. The minimum bid is $123,334 and it has a Buy It Now price of $525,000. The auction page also cites a Zestimate for the building of $338,100 and a previous listing … [Read more...] about Historic Warehouse For Sale at Auction – 620 Geyer
History of Talbott Tower (Talbott Building)
Dayton's tallest buildings were built in the 1970s and 80s, but the stories of the earlier "modern" office towers in the late 50s and 60s, when the city was steadily growing but also beginning to decentralize significantly, are interesting as well. The history of the … [Read more...] about History of Talbott Tower (Talbott Building)
History of Rike’s, Elder-Beerman, and Downtown Dayton Department Stores
The Golden Age of Main Street Shopping The last few years have been a difficult time for many downtown small businesses. Retail stores especially face a combination of challenges ranging from lingering pandemic effects and economic struggles to competition from … [Read more...] about History of Rike’s, Elder-Beerman, and Downtown Dayton Department Stores
The Gottschall House: Not the Gottschall House?
A while back I wrote a history of the Oscar M. Gottschall house at 20 Livingston Ave, just off of Huffman Ave. It's a beautiful home that is considered to be the greatest Gothic Revival structure in Dayton, and it was added to the National Register of Historic Places back … [Read more...] about The Gottschall House: Not the Gottschall House?
Where Was the Wright Brothers Bike Shop in Dayton?
My last article covered where the Wright Brothers lived in Dayton. This one will highlight the places in town where they worked to turn their revolutionary ideas into the invention of powered flight. Because the brothers made and repaired bicycles before focusing on … [Read more...] about Where Was the Wright Brothers Bike Shop in Dayton?
The Only Example of Gothic Commercial Architecture in Dayton
The Fire Blocks has been a hot topic in recent years due to the major redevelopment project spearheaded by The Windsor Companies that has brought apartments and a variety of restaurants and retail shops to a formerly sleepy stretch of East Third Street downtown. But one … [Read more...] about The Only Example of Gothic Commercial Architecture in Dayton