Over the past several years, as I’ve researched Dayton’s industrial history and the neighborhoods that once surrounded its factories, one theme has come up repeatedly: Appalachian migration. Between the late 1930s and 1960s, tens of thousands of people from eastern … [Read more...] about Appalachian Migration to Dayton, Ohio: Where Families Lived and Worked
Haymarket
History of the Dayton Turngemeinde (Turners, Liederkranz-Turner) German Club
When I write a history article like this, I typically start by choosing the subject because I have some reason for wanting to delve into a particular organization or company. For this one, however, I simply stumbled upon the following image and was so intrigued by the … [Read more...] about History of the Dayton Turngemeinde (Turners, Liederkranz-Turner) German Club
Pocket of Buildings Recalls Old Wayne Ave
The area around Fifth Street and Wayne Ave has seen tremendous change over the years. Once a dense neighborhood commercial district that extended far in all four directions, today we still can enjoy well-preserved Fifth Street in the Oregon District to the west. But head … [Read more...] about Pocket of Buildings Recalls Old Wayne Ave
Did Urban Renewal Work in Dayton? A Status Report from 1969
With the benefit of over a half century of hindsight, we now consider the large-scale urban renewal projects of the 1950s and 1960s as huge mistakes which hastened the decline of our cities instead of improving them. By razing human-scale, walkable neighborhoods for … [Read more...] about Did Urban Renewal Work in Dayton? A Status Report from 1969
Evolution of a Corner: 5th and Wayne from Dover Building to Dublin Pub
A great book of Dayton history that I have on my shelf is Dayton Album: Remembering Downtown by Jim Nichols, who for years wrote about downtown for his Downtowner publication and a column in the Dayton Daily News. In the book he has several pages devoted to the "evolution … [Read more...] about Evolution of a Corner: 5th and Wayne from Dover Building to Dublin Pub
The History and Razing of the Haymarket (The Actual Market)
In many of my presentations (and my book Lost Dayton Ohio), I tell the story of the lost Haymarket neighborhood, which was located in between the Oregon District and St. Anne's Hill, and how it met its end. This article will also chronicle the end of the hay market, … [Read more...] about The History and Razing of the Haymarket (The Actual Market)
History of the First Black Church in Dayton
The first neighborhood in Dayton that was identifiably black was located along Seely's Ditch just to the east of today's Oregon District. First occupied around 1827, the area known as "Africa" was populated largely by men who worked on the Miami-Erie Canal. It was here … [Read more...] about History of the First Black Church in Dayton