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
Suburbs
History of the McCook Theater and Bowling Alley
In a recent article I dug into some history of the McCook shopping center, the first suburban-style commercial strip in Dayton. In that piece I mentioned that two major tenants were a theater and a bowling alley, and here I will share their histories in more detail. The … [Read more...] about History of the McCook Theater and Bowling Alley
The Fate of McCook Shopping Center, Dayton’s First Suburban Commercial Strip
I've written about Downtown Dayton's retail history, as well as its decline as suburban shopping malls emerged to take advantage of a region that was spreading out significantly in the 1950s and 1960s. But today we will look at an interesting chapter bridging the gap in … [Read more...] about The Fate of McCook Shopping Center, Dayton’s First Suburban Commercial Strip
History of 1731 Philadelphia, “Home Beautiful” in Upper Dayton View
While doing Dayton history research I often stumble upon interesting references and images that lead me to take on completely new topics. In this case I was researching the Gibbons Building in the Dayton Arcade and an article happened to reference a banker who worked there. … [Read more...] about History of 1731 Philadelphia, “Home Beautiful” in Upper Dayton View
The Decline of Downtown Retail post-1950: Suburbanization, Urban Renewal, and More
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
Selecting Dayton’s Most Endangered Buildings
Preservation Dayton, a longstanding organization which already has a track record of success for local historic preservation, is stepping up its efforts with a new initiative, the Endangered Properties Fund. Each year, a committee selects a list of the city's ten most … [Read more...] about Selecting Dayton’s Most Endangered Buildings
Dayton View as Early Dayton Suburb (Newspaper Ads)
Tracing the history of suburban migration in Dayton is an interesting process. Today we see advertisements for the latest home communities in far-flung areas around Springboro, Beavercreek, Huber Heights, and the like, but a century ago many of the premier Dayton … [Read more...] about Dayton View as Early Dayton Suburb (Newspaper Ads)