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
NCR
The Grocery that Never Slept: Frank Hale, the Wright Brothers, and Dayton’s First Store Chain
The Wright-Dunbar neighborhood has multiple sites connected to the Wright Brothers' exploits in bicycles and then airplanes, but the Hoover Block at the SE corner of West Third and Williams is where Wilbur and Orville worked on their first business venture: printing. The … [Read more...] about The Grocery that Never Slept: Frank Hale, the Wright Brothers, and Dayton’s First Store Chain
Proposed Brown Street Development Would Raze Historic Church
Update: In July 2021 the project partners announced they would preserve the old church and incorporate it into the new medical building (as reported by the Dayton Daily News). The new rendering is below. Original Article: The University of Dayton played a major role in … [Read more...] about Proposed Brown Street Development Would Raze Historic Church
The Lost Patterson Elm Tree at NCR
NCR was well-known for its innovative factory buildings featuring abundant windows to allow in more light, and founder John H. Patterson also made huge investments in parks, landscaped boulevards, and other natural areas in Dayton. But did you know that NCR once had its … [Read more...] about The Lost Patterson Elm Tree at NCR
History of The Delco (Mendelson) Building: Early Delco in Dayton
With the recent news that Sandy Mendelson has sold the massive building that has long housed his liquidation outlet, we're going to take a look at the history of the structure since no news reports appear to have mentioned it. Crawford Hoying, who along with Woodard have … [Read more...] about History of The Delco (Mendelson) Building: Early Delco in Dayton
The Dayton Arcade’s Grand Opening of 1904
Pre-development work is well underway at the Dayton Arcade, including restoration of the iconic rotunda. The development team hopes to finally close on remaining financing this month. Once real construction begins on the various residential, office, and retail spaces, … [Read more...] about The Dayton Arcade’s Grand Opening of 1904
James Ritty’s Pony House Saloon
We recently looked at James Ritty’s invention of the cash register, before John Patterson took the enterprise to greater heights with NCR. But Ritty also has another interesting story that connects to a present-day business. His original occupation was a saloonkeeper and he … [Read more...] about James Ritty’s Pony House Saloon
James Ritty: How a Dayton Saloon Owner Invented the Cash Register
The invention of the cash register began not with a major corporation, but with a Dayton saloonkeeper confronting a very practical problem. In 1879, James Ritty created the first mechanical cash register as a way to prevent employee theft, a simple idea that would ultimately … [Read more...] about James Ritty: How a Dayton Saloon Owner Invented the Cash Register