Frederick Rike (1867-1947) was President of the Rike-Kumler Department Store Company in Dayton. He began at Rike’s as a salesman and a buyer of notions, handkerchiefs, hosiery and gloves. He eventually worked his way up to the post of President, which he held for 40 years, seldom missing a day at work in the store. It was Frederick Rike who moved the store to the corner of Second and Main Streets that it anchored for so long. He was active during the recovery efforts from the 1913 Flood and served on the charter commission which reorganized Dayton’s government under the city manager format. He had worked for the establishment of the Miami Valley Conservancy District, and served as president of the Dayton Boy Scouts and Community Chest.
Frederick Rike died on November 19, 1947 and is located in Section 37 Lot 1226.
David L. Rike (1904—1982) carried his family’s legendary Dayton department store into the 20th century. Rike’s Department Store, a long
and storied Dayton institution, was founded by David’s grandfather in 1853. David’s father, Frederick, inherited the family business and upon his death in 1947, David was elected president. In 1965, he became board chairman and chief executive officer.
As Rike’s expanded and progressed and flourished under David’s tenure, he maintained a staunch humanitarian mindset, even creating a special employee fund for families experiencing financial distress. In turn, he always encouraged his employees to give back to the Dayton community.
A graduate of both the Princeton School of Business Administration and Harvard School of Business Administration, Rike used this business acumen for the betterment of the Dayton region. His dedication to Rike’s historic Second and Main location exemplified his love and belief in downtown Dayton.
David L. Rike was born on October 24, 1904 in Xenia, Ohio and died on January 16, 1982 in Dayton, Ohio. He was married to Margaret Craighead Shaw. He is located in Section 37 Lot 1226.
Visitors take in the holiday window displays at Rike’s department store in 1945, the first year they were on display in Dayton after being relocated from the NCR offices in New York City. Photo courtesy of the NCR Archive at the Montgomery County Historical Society
Photo taken 12-20-1945
Woodland Cemetery, founded in 1841, is one of the nation’s oldest rural garden cemeteries and a unique cultural, botanical and educational resource in the heart of Dayton, Ohio. Visit the cemetery and arboretum and take one of the many tours Woodland offers free of charge. Most of Dayton’s aviation heroes, inventors and business barons are buried at Woodland.
Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum is located at 118 Woodland Avenue off of Brown Street near the UD Campus. The Woodland Office is open Monday through Friday 8 am to 5 pm and Saturday 8 am to 12 pm. The Cemetery and Arboretum are open daily from 8 am to 6 pm. The Mausoleum is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm. For more information call 937-228-3221 or visit the Woodland website.
