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Daniel Beckel

Street Names of Dayton: Torrence Street and Huffman Avenue

February 23, 2019 By Angie Hoschouer

HUFFMAN AVENUE and TORRENCE STREET are named for Torrence Huffman, real estate developer and owner of Huffman Prairie where the Wright Brothers flew and tested their airplanes.

Torrence was a member of the Board of Trustees of the Woodland Cemetery Association from May 1903 until his death on January 6, 1928. He also served as its treasurer from 1890 to 1896. He was a graduate of Denison University in Granville, Ohio and served as one of their trustees and chairman of the finance committee. He was one of the original organizers of the Fourth National Bank and first served as its vice-president for five years and then president for twenty five years until the bank merged with the Dayton Savings and Trust Company. In 1916, he became financially involved with the Buckeye Iron & Brass Works serving as its director and principal owner until his death in 1928. He was also a director at the Dayton Railway Company as well as the Dayton State Hospital. 

 

Torrence Huffman was born in Dayton, Ohio on March 20, 1855 and died on January 6, 1928. He was married to Annie Beckel, daughter of Daniel and Susannah (Harshman) Beckel. Torrence and Annie had four children: Susannah, William, Geraldine and Charlotte. The entire family is buried in Section 52 Lot 1167 in Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum.

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 University of Dayton 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 and until 7 pm during Daylight Saving Time. The Mausoleum is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm. For more information, call 937-228-3221 or visit the Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum website.

 

Filed Under: Community, Dayton History, Downtown Dayton, The Featured Articles Tagged With: Buckeye Iron & Brass Works, Daniel Beckel, Dayton Railway Company, Dayton Savings and Trust, Dayton State Hospital, Denison University, huffman prairie, streets, Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum

Luminaries of Dayton: The Beehive as a Cemetery Symbol

May 12, 2017 By Angie Hoschouer

The beehive was often used by the Freemasons and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. It symbolizes human industry, faith, education and domestic virtues.

Daniel Beckel has one of the most unique monuments at Woodland. We affectionately call it the “Beckel Beehive.”

Who was Daniel Beckel?

Daniel Beckel was born in England on September 14, 1813. In 1829, when Daniel was just sixteen, he was an assistant to his step-father, a civil engineer, who worked on the construction of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. Afterward they became the contractors for, and constructed the great St. Mary’s Reservoir, for the Miami Canal. After the completion of that work, Mr. Beckel came to Dayton building the Beckel Opera House, the Beckel House (Hotel), and other valuable structures. He was also engaged in the manufacture of woolens and of flour, in the lumber trade, and in the construction of railroads and turnpikes. In connection with William Dickey and Joseph Clegg, Beckel established a private bank and was almost the sole owner of the Miami Valley and Dayton Banks. Mr. Beckel additionally served in the following capacities: elected to the Ohio Legislature; Secretary of the Dayton Hydraulic Co. in 1845 and President of the first gas company, The Dayton Gas Light & Coke Co. in 1849. Daniel Beckel was married to Susan Harshman. Mr. Daniel Beckel died on February, 26, 1862. He is located in Section 52 Lot 1167.

In 2016, a group of high school students participated in a Work, Earn and Learn program at Woodland. Eight girls worked 16 hours per week for 10 weeks and did the care and upkeep of several gardens, established a new garden in a highly visible area of the cemetery with a focus on design and plant selection, learned the workings of the cemetery from the front office to grounds maintenance, received several tours learning the history of Woodland, its establishment and the people resting peacefully within and also worked on the restoration of several monuments, including the “Beckel Beehive.”

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 University of Dayton 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 Cemetery and Arboretum website.

Filed Under: Active Living, Arts & Entertainment, Community, Dayton History, Downtown Dayton, Schools/Education, The Featured Articles, Visual Arts Tagged With: Beckel Hotel, Beckel Opera House, Daniel Beckel, Dayton, Downtown Dayton, Freemasons, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Joseph Clegg, Susan Harshman, Things to do in Dayton, William Dickey, Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum

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