I recently came across the website, Dayton History Books
Online, and there are so many interesting
treasures on this website that it’s hard for me to summarize everything. There are old columns from the Dayton Daily
News written by well-known journalists, books on Dayton history, old photos of
Dayton, and quick blurbs about almost forgotten Dayton history. You can conduct quick searches of photos that
are organized by decade and by popular subjects. I noticed that several of the pictures say
“courtesy of Dayton Public Library underneath.”
Links to individuals such as Roz Young and the Wright Brothers can also
be explored.
Website visitors also have the opportunity to submit their
own stories about Dayton via the “Personal Remembrances” and “Dayton Memories
Blog.” I found the whole site interesting, but I most enjoyed the personal
accounts. There are several subjects or
questions posted where individuals can respond with their own stories. For instance, 48 people responded to the
question of “Where were you on April 3, 1974?”
After looking up this event, I realized this referenced the huge tornado
that hit Xenia. I know that these
responses were given years after the event, but they are still useful for
remembering the history of Xenia. They
would be even more useful if not many stories were gathered at the time. Most of the moments in time discussed on the
website seem to be older events. Some of
the subjects discussed are vague, such as, “Where did your parents work?” A few of the responders cited dates or a time
period; however, if all users could be encouraged to mention a specific date or
even a range of dates, the context of their memories would be better
understood. It would also be interesting
if this website could begin to record firsthand accounts from current events in
Dayton. This website has great potential, and I look forward to reading more.
The brief snippets of information about the history of
Dayton, called “Dalton’s Gem City Jewels” also grabbed my attention. One article mentioned Triangle Park. I pass this park every time I go to work, and
I have never thought much more than “that’s a cute little park.” However, who knew that this little park was
also the site of the first NFL game between the Dayton Triangles and the
Columbus Panhandles? Maybe this is well
known to football fans, but I was oblivious. Another fun fact I learned was that the Dayton
Art Institute was built on an Indian burial ground. Who knew?!
This website is definitely worth checking out.
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