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100 Years of Episcopal Church in Dayton
by Howard Burba Copyright October 12, 1930
The history of the Episcopal Church from the first meeting in Dayton on May 15, 1817 to the 1930s.
122 Years of Freemasonry in Dayton
by Howard Burba Copyright May 24, 1931
The beginnings of St. Johns Lodge No. 9 and the first meetings in Dayton in 1809.
The Abduction of Angeline Stewart
by Howard Burba Copyright December 3, 1933
The kidnapping and murder of a 12 year old girl from Dayton in 1867.
An Early Miami Valley Missionary
by Howard Burba Copyright March 6, 1932
The life of Father James Finley, one of Miami Valley's first Christian ministers.
As New York Viewed Dayton 54 Years Ago
by Howard Burba Copyright August 21, 1932
A time when New York thought Dayton was one of the most beautiful cities on the planet.
The Baptist Church in Dayton
by Howard Burba Copyright February 4, 1934
An attempt to try and trace the first Baptist church in Dayton, which seems to be somewhere around 1806.
The Blizzard of Eighteen Eighty-Eight
by Howard Burba Copyright March 18, 1934
A comparison of the "blizzard" in 1888 to the terrible cold spell of 1934.
Bloodshed in the Bucket Brigade
by Howard Burba Copyright April 9, 1933
A murder in 1833 that involved the "bucket brigade" - a way that fires were put out by local citizens in 1833 before there was a real fire department.
Boat Races on the Miami in 1867
by Howard Burba Copyright November 5, 1933
The regatta of 1867 made front-page news and had half the town show up to watch it.
Building the Court House
by Howard Burba Copyright December 7, 1930
Remembering when the Old Court House was the new Court House in 1850.
Burning the Journal Office
by Howard Burba Copyright December 14, 1930
How the Dayton Journal came under the torch by a mob during the Civil War.
Christmas in Dayton 50 Years Ago
by Howard Burba Copyright December 24, 1933
Christmas, always a time of joy, was especially so for the citizens of Dayton in 1888, or at least according to reports in the newspaper at the time.
Christmas in "Those Good Old Days"
by Howard Burba Copyright December 25, 1927
Christmas in 1841, when bears roamed the area and Dayton had been around for less than 50 years.
The Colorful Career of Dayton Slim
by Howard Burba Copyright April 30, 1933
The history of Charles Stimmel, who eventually went to the electric chair for murder.
Columbus Day In Dayton 41 Years Ago
by Howard Burba October 8, 1933
Over 125,000 people celebrated in Dayton during the 400th anniversary of the discovery of America by Columbus.
Cyclone at Washington Court House
by Howard Burba June 24, 1934
Newspaper accounts reprinted on the September 1885 cyclone that hit Washington Court House.
Darke County's Most Cruel Crime
by Howard Burba Copyright December 4, 1932
The murder of Charlotte Leis by her son-in-law Christian Oelchlager in her home near Greenville in 1891.
David Lowry Was a Grand Old Settler
by Howard Burba Copyright May 13, 1934
Lowry was a pioneer scout and trail-blazer, sort of the Daniel Boone of the Miami Valley.
The Day Henry Clay Visited Dayton
by Howard Burba Copyright September 11, 1932
Over 150,000 people attended a speech Henry Clay gave in Dayton in 1842. An amazing feat, considering there were less than 7,000 people living in the city at the time.
The Day Lincoln Spoke in Dayton
by Howard Burba Copyright February 8, 1931
Lincoln's visit to Dayton while running for president in 1859. The article includes sections of the speech he gave on the Old Court House steps.
The Day of the "Big Wind" in Dayton
by Howard Burba Copyright September 4, 1932
A hurricane-like wind came through Dayton 0n July 9, 1871 that rivaled the one that hit here in 2008.
The Day the First Canal Boat Arrived
by Howard Burba Copyright November 30, 1930
The glorious day when the canal boat, "Governor Brown", arrived in Dayton on January 25, 1829.
The Day the Soldiers' Monument was Dedicated
by Howard Burba Copyright November 9, 1930
That faithful day in 1884 when Pvt. Fair was immortalized forever as the Dayton representative of the Civil War.
Day the Wrights Came Home
by Howard Burba Copyright 1931
The Wright Brothers were given a two day celebration in Dayton when they came home from France in 1909. The article appeared in the Dayton Daily News on January 4, 1931
The Day They Caught "Black Ben"
by Howard Burba Copyright October 11, 1931
In 1832 an escape slave was captured in Dayton and his "master" allowed to take him away. That night Ben tried to escape by jumping through a hotel window, only to die during the attempt.
The Day They Caught 'Red' Leary
by Howard Burba Copyright February 18, 1934
A famous bad man of old, who got caught in Dayton in 1874.
The Day They Hung John McAfee
by Howard Burba Copyright November 23, 1930
The first person to be hung for murder in Dayton, which took place in 1825 after he murdered his wife.
The Day They Mobbed the Empire Office
by Howard Burba Copyright May 16, 1937
A riot resulting in a murder due to the Empire newspaper defending Clement Vallandigham's acts of treason.
The Day They Mobbed the Shakers
by Howard Burba Copyright October 7, 1934
In 1810 upwards of 2000 people gathered near where the Shakers lived in Union Village, near Lebanon, Ohio, to drive them away from their lands. The mob was not successful.
The Day They Opened the Miamisburg Mound
by Howard Burba Copyright February 28, 1932
The opening of the Indian burial mound in Miamisburg in 1869.
Dayton in the Days of '49
by Howard Burba Copyright April 12, 1931
The mad days of the California Gold Rush on 1849 and Dayton's role there.
Dayton Postmen Say Atlas Had Easy Job
by Howard Burba Copyright January 15, 1928
How, in 1928, the U.S. Postoffice had to handle an average 5 million pieces of mail an hour!
Dayton, the Home of Religious Literature
by Howard Burba Copyright August 7, 1932
Several publishers of religious material were once in Dayton, including the famous United Brethren Publishing Company.
Dayton's First City Directory
by Howard Burba Copyright June 4, 1933
Dayton's first directory, printed in 1850, not only listed the citizens of the Gem City, it also contained the first history of the city as well.
Dayton's First "Wet and Dry" Campaign
by Howard Burba Copyright May 3, 1931
The first crusade to close down saloons began in Dayton in 1874.
Dayton's Greatest Labor Day
by Howard Burba September 2, 1934
In 1900 Labor Day really meant something. It was estimated that over 12,000 people lined up to watch a parade and participate in events at the Fairgrounds.
The Dean of Dayton Showman
by Howard Burba Copyright May 22, 1932
Larry Reist tells of the entertainment Dayton had to offer in the early days.
A Death-Bed Murder Confession
by Howard Burba Copyright June 17, 1934
The murder of Christine Kett in 1867 wasn't solved until 1884, and that was only due to the last minute confession of the murderer before dying.
Did Mary Knight Murder Her Mother?
by Howard Burba Copyright November 22, 1931
A murder mystery that took place in 1895.
Distilling in the Early Days
by Howard Burba Copyright November 19, 1933
Distilling as an industry in Dayton is almost as old as Dayton itself, the first one being Daniel C. Cooper in 1799.
The Downfall of Chief Farrell
by Howard Burba Copyright April 25, 1937
Dayton Police Chief Thomas J. Farrell was forced to resign in 1900.
Factory Fires of Fifty Years Ago
by Howard Burba Copyright December 16, 1934
Two of Dayton's most productive manufacturers caught fire in 1884, the John Dodds rake factory and Stomps chair factory.
The First Fair and "Goldsmith Maid"
by Howard Burba Copyright December 28, 1930
In 1874, at the very first fair held in Montgomery County, a new world record for trotting horses was also established.
The First History of Dayton Ever to Appear in Print
by Howard Burba Copyright December 31, 1933
The first real history of Dayton appeared in the newspaper in 1833, only 37 years after the first pioneers settled here.
The First Hundred Years of Dayton
by Howard Burba Copyright September 28, 1933
A speech given in 1896 that shows how much, and how little in some ways, Dayton had changed in 100 years
First Great Political Rally - Tippecanoe and Tyler Too
by Howard Burba, Copyright October 26, 1930
When General William Henry Harrison came to Dayton in 1840 it was the event of the year.
The First Time Dayton Went to War
by Howard Burba Copyright February 1, 1931
How Daytonians fought in the War with Mexico in the 1840s.
Germantown Has a Birthday
by Howard Burba Copyright August 13, 1933
A short history of how Germantown began in 1798 and the people who were involved in the beginning of the town's great history.
The Great Fox Hunt of 1879
by Howard Burba Copyright October 1, 1933
The interest in hunting fox was great in the days of no television or radio.
Greene County's Queerest Crime
by Howard Burba Copyright October 30, 1932
How a man was tried and acquitted of a murder, then later retried and sentenced to hang for the same crime. But that isn't the final twist of the tale...
Hottest Day in the History of Dayton
by Howard Burba Copyright May 14, 1933
In July 1881 the temperature hit 106 degrees for three straight days
How a Dayton's "Printer's Devil" Rose to Fame
by Howard Burba Copyright November 29, 1931
William Dean Howells, author of A Boys Town, spent part of his youth in Dayton.
How Dayton Was Saved from the Drought
by Howard Burba Copyright September 21, 1930
A story of how melted glaciers has guaranteed Dayton a water supply that will supposedly never end.
How They Came to Call it "Xenia"
by Howard Burba Copyright July 10, 1932
How Xenia was almost called Wayne, Ohio.
Leaves From an Old Dayton Scrapbook
by Howard Burba Copyright October 29, 1933
J. O. Arnold, a lover of Dayton from 100 years ago, kept a scrapbook of the history of the city - which is now owned by Dayton Metro Library.
The Man They Had to Hang Twice
by Howard Burba Copyright May 7, 1933
The life and crimes of Francis Dick who, while being hung for murder in 1854, had the misfortune of having the rope break the first time and had to be hung again.
The Man Who Made the Zoo
by Howard Burba Copyright January 3, 1932
Sol Stephan, the man who was responsible for the Cincinnati Zoo, was a Daytonian.
Most Tragic Night in Xenia's History
by Howard Burba Copyright July 23, 1933
Twenty-six known dead and the destruction of more than 200 homes was the loss sustained in the Xenia flood of 1886.
Murder of a Dayton Editor
by Howard Burba Copyright December 21, 1930
How the Civil War helped cause the murder of a newspaper editor in 1862.
The Night of the Big "Spelling Bee"
by Howard Burba Copyright February 25, 1934
When “spelling bees” were among the chief forms of entertainment in Dayton.
The Night of the Policemen's Ball
by Howard Burba Copyright October 14, 1934
Entertainment at a ball held for Dayton policemen in 1890.
The Night They Dedicated the Armory
by Howard Burba Copyright September 16, 1934
The Armory on Patterson Blvd. was dedicated in 1894.
The Night They Dedicated the Library
by Howard Burba Copyright May 6, 1934
The original Dayton Public Library building on Third and St. Clair streets was dedicated in 1887.
The Night They Opened the Phillips House
by Howard Burba Copyright March 13, 1932
One of the best hotels of the city opened its doors in 1852.
The Old Beavertown Pike Mystery
by Howard Burba Copyright January 31, 1937
Tracking the murderer of Julius Kruse, who was killed on Beavertown Pike on October 18, 1897.
The Old "Charity Circus" in Dayton
by Howard Burba Copyright January 28, 1934
The first of its kind, a charity circus in 1894 that was attended by over 10,000 people.
The Old Greenville Balloon Tragedy & When Forest Fires Threatened Arcanum
by Howard Burba Copyright April 8, 1934
Two articles by Burba, one describing a terrible accident in 1905 and another that tells of the days when Arcanum was mostly a wooded area.
The Old Vandenberg Diamond Case
by Howard Burba Copyright May 27, 1934
A case of theft causes an uproar in the Dayton Police Department in 1891.
The Opening of St. Elizabeth Hospital
by Howard Burba Copyright April 1, 1934
The city folks were excited when they learned that St. E's hospital was going to open on August 15, 1878.
Paper and Type in the Miami Valley
by Howard Burba Copyright February 26, 1933
When Dayton was the most important paper-making district in the United States.
Penelope Perrill Has Found the Fountain of Youth
by Howard Burba Copyright July 26, 1931
Mrs. Perrill's wonderful career as a newspaper reporter and writer.
A Poison Mystery That Didn't Pan Out
by Howard Burba Copyright January 19, 1936
A suspicious poisoning of a wealthy farmer back in 1900.
A Proud Old Pioneer Family
by Howard Burba Copyright November 25, 1934
The legacy Lewis and Elizabeth Kemp and their family of eight children left behind in Mad River Township.
Remember When the Powder Mills Exploded?
by Howard Burba Copyright March 5, 1933
The day the gun powder mill exploded in 1866, which was felt in Dayton even though the city was 14 miles away from the site.
Reviving a Once-Famous Industry
by Howard Burba Copyright September 30, 1928
The stone quarry near Centerville that was known for its "Dayton" limestone was once again in use in the 1920s.
Romance of the Lightning Rod
by Howard Burba Copyright July 12, 1925
A little known fact that the first copper lightning rods were built in West Milton.
The Salvation Army's First Battle in Dayton
by Howard Burba Copyright December 2, 1934
How the Salvation Army came to Dayton in 1884.
A Sawmill Explosion - A Railroad Wreck
by Howard Burba Copyright July 8, 1933
Two stories in one: about a sawmill of Leppert & Sons at Fredericksburg and a freight wreck at Enon, both which took place in 1892.
The Slaying of Two Town Marshals
by Howard Burba Copyright June 3, 1934
In 1884 both Wilmington's Marshal Van Doren and Eaton's Marshal Ryan were murdered.
Some Things Dayton Historians Overlooked
by Howard Burba Copyright March 4, 1934
Tales about Dan the Hermit and how Dayton changed in the mid 1800s.
Story of a Shovelful of Dirt
by Howard Burba Copyright October 27, 1929
The beginning and the end of the Miami and Erie Canal that ran through the state of Ohio and eventually became Patterson Blvd. in Dayton.
The Story of Dayton View
by Howard Burba Copyright October 22, 1933
How J. O. Arnold made Dayton View a residential district of which any city in the world could be proud.
The Story of the Stamped Envelope
by Howard Burba Copyright May 15, 1932
How Dayton was once the biggest producers of stamped envelopes in the United States.
A Tabloid History of Dayton
by Howard Burba Copyright March 30, 1932
A large number of "firsts" about Dayton, including the first birth and death, first mill, first school, etc.
Taking Nature in as a Side Partner
by Howard Burba Copyright January 8, 1928
A short article on the zoo that once graced Forest Park.
Thanksgiving 50 Years Ago
by Howard Burba Copyright November 20, 1932
Thanksgiving was a little different, yet not really, in 1882.
Three Dayton Bankers Tell: How I Earned My First Dollar
by Howard Burba Copyright July 2, 1922
Three famous Dayton bankers - Valentine Winters, Harry H. Darst and William R. Craven - tell of how they got to where they were and what young men had to do to succeed.
This County's Last Hanging
by Howard Burba Copyright November 16, 1930
The murder of Henry Mulharren by Harry Adams on February 13, 1876.
The Time the Wolf Creek Levee Broke
by Howard Burba Copyright July 16, 1933
The flood of 1886 was "a dandy", with Seely's ditch overflowing and streets between Wayne and Bainbridge having so much water it was "belly deep to street-car horses."
The Time They Caught 'Fritzie' Dhein
by Howard Burba Copyright May 20, 1934
Dhein, from Dayton, was the John Dillinger of the Gay 'nineties.
The Tragic Side of Two Lives
by Howard Burba Copyright April 22, 1934
The tale of two women who were involved in crime over 100 years ago.
They Called it "The Toughest Street in Dayton"
by Howard Burba Copyright May 17, 1936
When Joe Street was a place to avoid
Two Historic Local Organizations
by Howard Burba Copyright November 26, 1933
The beginnings of the Montgomery County Pioneer Society and the Montgomery County Horticultural Society.
Two Red-Letter Military Events
by Howard Burba Copyright January 7, 1934
Includes how Dayton was inspected for "military preparedness" in 1858 and the visit of President Rutherford B. Hayes to the Soldiers’ Home here in 1877.
When Carrie Nation Came to Dayton
by Howard Burba Copyright December 17, 1933
Dayton was blessed(?) to have Carrie Nation visit twice in 1904 during her crusade to persuade America not to drink.
When Darke County Vigilantes Rode
by Howard Burba Copyright September 10, 1933
A time when some citizens of the county took the law into their own hands and committed two murders, once in 1877 and again in 1878.
When "Davis" Came to Dayton
by Howard Burba Copyright October 9, 1932
Davis sewing machines were quite the rage when the company moved to Dayton in 1890. They later made their mark on the world by selling bicycles and becoming the Huffy corporation.
When Dayton Came Close to Getting O.S.U.
by Howard Burba Copyright October 15, 1933
The story of how the citizens of Montgomery County voted to not have Ohio State University be built there.
When Dayton Celebrated the End of the Civil War
by Howard Burba Copyright November 12, 1933
Dayton citizens paraded down the streets of the city celebrating the end of the Civil War... until they learned that Licoln had been assassinated.
When Dayton Had a 'Hobo Epidemic'
by Howard Burba Copyright January 21, 1934
The days in 1874 when charity workers opened a 'soup kitchen' and 'hobos' from across the country came for the free meals.
When Dayton Learned to Say "Hello"
by Howard Burba Copyright March 6, 1921
History of the telephone in Dayton, going back to when there were only 10 subscribers in 1878.
When Dayton Was Getting Started
by Howard Burba Copyright March 11, 1934
Stories of the canal, a soldier of the Mexican War and a murder in 1857.
When Dayton was the Home of the Gypsies
by Howard Burba Copyright May 10, 1931
A time when the Stanley's, leaders of the English tribe of Gypsies, lived in Dayton.
When Kayser the Miser Shuffled Off
by Howard Burba Copyright June 28, 1931
Kayser's trips to the Dayton dumps made him some cash.
When News of Grant's Death Reached Dayton
by Howard Burba Copyright October 21, 1934
Ulysses S. Grant's death in 1885 brought grief to many Daytonians who considered him a hero.
When the Cholera Plague Swept Dayton
by Howard Burba Copyright March 8, 1931
For over a month cholera killed up to a dozen people a day in Dayton.
When the "Poor House" Made the Front Page
by Howard Burba Copyright December 11, 1932
The miracle that occurred in 1895 when the poor house exploded and only two men lost their lives.
When the State Fair was Held Here
by Howard Burba Copyright October 2, 1932
In olden days the State Fair was held in various cities across the state of Ohio. Dayton had its turn in 1853.
When Women Got Out the News
by Howard Burba Copyright October 30, 1932
The March 30, 1901 edition of the Dayton Daily News was completely produced by some of Dayton's most well-known women - the proceeds helping to form the Young Women's League.
When World Class Divines Visited Dayton
by Howard Burba Copyright July 29, 1934
The days when religious revival meetings shook Dayton "from stem to stern".
Who Murdered N. Greer McClure?
by Howard Burba Copyright January 14, 1934
The unsolved murder of McClure, whose body was found in the canal in 1877.
When Dayton Got Out of the Mud
by Howard Burba July 22, 1934
The year 1883 was the start of clean streets, a sewerage system and a municipal disposal plant of which any city in the world may well be proud.
Who Was Valladigham?
by Howard Burba August 12, 1928
The story of Valladigham, from his arrest as a traitor during the Civil War to his unusual death in 1871.
Why Dayton Never Has A Big Fire
by Howard Burba Copyright January 25, 1931
How changes over the years in construction, civic pride and a great fire department made Dayton one of the best cities in terms of dealing with fires downtown.
A Wild Night at Washington C.H.
by Howard Burba Copyright June 26, 1932
A near-lynching cost the lives of several citizens of Washington Court House on October 17, 1894.
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