Dayton History

Women of Woodland: Marj Heyduck

March 26, 2019 By Angie Hoschouer Leave a Comment

Marjorie Irene Heyduck: Columnist and Journalist

Dayton Journal Herald
October 7, 1969
Page 23

Marj Heyduck, The Journal Herald’s nationally known columnist and a journalist since 1936, was found dead September 15 at her home hear Greenville in Darke County. Mrs. Heyduck, who was 56, was found by a neighbor, and died of coronary insufficiency.

Marj was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert C. Evers of Dayton. She graduated from Stivers High School in 1931 and majored in journalism at Ohio State University.

Marj got her start in the newspaper business in the women’s department of the old Dayton Herald in 1936. Leaving that job, she worked for the Dayton Press, a weekly newspaper, and broadcast a daily human interest and woman’s feature program over WING radio from 1939 to 1941.

She rejoined the Herald as a general assignment reporter in 1943 and began her regular column which later gained fame as “Third and Main” a year later.

It was at that time that she began a feature column on wrestling for the Herald’s sports department. Tales of her escapades as a reporter covering wrestling matches in Southern Ohio entertained hundreds of women at regular “Tea With Marj” occasions throughout the Miami Valley.

Marj was named editor of the Herald’s Women’s Department in 1948 and became women’s editor of The Journal Herald when the two newspapers were merged in 1949.

She gave up her title as women’s editor in 1966 and was named assistant to the editor, an honorary title, but she continued her daily “Third and Main” column for The Journal Herald’s Modern Living section.

Marj was best known for her sense of humor and devotion to anecdotes. She spun her tales from the thin thread of the most common, everyday occurrences, embroidering them with a bit of fancy and securing them in a bright burst of hilarity.

Marj’s affairs with hats were almost as legendary as her anecdotes. She seldom appeared in public without a hat and made a great fuss over them at her teas and in her column. She also demanded whenever possible that the picture that ran with her column be changed daily, each day with a different hat – a practice that left Journal Herald photographers sometimes fearing for their sanity.

Marj’s journalism prizes were numerous and her reputation as a columnist was nationwide. She won more than 75 prizes over the years in annual contests of the Ohio Newspaper Women’s Association; she won a National Headliners Award in 1946; was given the best column in Ohio award by United Press International in 1963; and her women’s pages won first place in the University of Missouri’s Penney Award for Excellence in 1964.

Marj was a regular discussion leader at women’s editor seminars at the American Press Institute at Columbia University appearing there

23 times between 1952 and 1968. She also was invited to lead similar discussion for the Ottoway Papers and the Press Associations of California, Tennessee and Pennsylvania.

Marj married Emerson C. Heyduck, an insurance sales man and also a native Daytonian in 1934. Mr. Heyduck died in 1953. They had no children.

Charles T. Alexander, editor of The Journal Herald, had this to say of Marj: “She was as comfortable as home. She was as much a part of The Journal Herald as its masthead. The regard from all who knew her and read her column for her is inestimable. The depth of our personal loss is inestimable.”

Said James M. Cox Jr., chairman of the board of Dayton Newspapers, Inc.: “We are deeply saddened by the loss of Marj Heyduck, Dayton’s best loved newspaperwoman.

“Her ‘Third and Main’ column brought good cheer and warm human sentiments daily for a quarter of a century. To thousands of Journal Herald readers, Marj was a welcome morning visitor. We share with them a feeling of great loss. Marj was truly an outstanding journalist, but even more a great lady.”

As a columnist, Marj traveled widely. Many of her columns were written from the scenes of national political conventions and inaugural balls where she found anecdotes and other material overlooked by thousands of other correspondents.

She also wrote her column from the decks of riverboats bound for New Orleans; from international fashion shows on New York’s Fifth Avenue, and from her stateroom aboard the SS Independence cruising in the Mediterranean.

But perhaps her best columns were written from tips and anecdotes exchanged over the phone with friends who called her regularly and strangers who overcame their awe and phoned nervously with a good story.

She also wrote frequently about her beloved Darke County and the small Ohio city of Greenville near her home at Wayne Lakes Park where she lived alone following her husband’s death.

Marj was a member of the Salvation Army Advisory Board, a Dayton Corps Trustee and a member of the Dayton Stivers Foundation.

Her three books, published by The Journal Herald, are The Best of Marj, published in 1962; The Anniversary Marj, 1964; and The Third Marj, 1966.

Marjorie Irene Heyduck died on September 15, 1969. She is located in Section 126 Lot 2. Unfortunately, no headstone was put in place for either her or her husband. The photo shows the area where Marj and Emerson are buried.

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.

Women of Woodland: Miss America Marion Bergeron

March 19, 2019 By Angie Hoschouer 1 Comment

A life-long public speaker and supporter of the Miss America Pageant, Marion Bergeron still holds the crown as the youngest Miss America in history, winning at the age of 15 – 1/2.

Miss Bergeron entered the contest as the winner of a local pageant as a way to get a stash of movie theater tickets for her and her sister. She didn’t know that she would actually win and it wasn’t so easy being such a young winner. She received many prizes including a car in which she couldn’t drive and a screen test from RKO Pictures which they rescinded due to her age. The crown that had been placed on her head was stolen from her room at the Ritz Carlton the very same night she earned it.

Marion was a typical teenager from a typical family. Born and raised in West Haven, Connecticut, she attended a Catholic high school. Her father was a patrol man with the town police and her mother stayed home and took care of the house and kids and accompanied young Marion to the pageant as her chaperone.

While Marion was blessed with blonde bombshell looks, she was quite an accomplished singer by the age of twelve and after winning the title of Miss America, she went on to perform professionally with the “Miss America Orchestra” as well as famous musicians such as Ozzie Nelson, Guy Lombardo and Rudy Vallee who she once labelled “an octopus.”

As an active representative of the Miss America pageant, Marion traveled with other winners raising money for the Boys and Girls Club of America. When she was home in Dayton, she volunteered for Kettering Medical Center, Hospice and other local civic organizations including serving as PTO president and a Girl Scout Leader.

Marion married Donald Ruhlman with whom she had three children. She became a widow in 1972. She remarried and soon found herself widowed again. In 1987, she married for a third time to Mr. Fred Setzer who made her a three-time widow in March of 2002. Marion died just seven months later in October of 2002. She had been known as the youngest winning Miss America and the oldest living Miss America.

Marion Bergeron was was born on May 3, 1918 in West Haven, Connecticut and died on October 22, 2002 in Dayton, Ohio at the age of 84 from complications of leukemia. She is located in Section 123 Lot 11.

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. Most of Dayton’s aviation heroes, inventors and business barons are buried at Woodland.

Women of Woodland: Betty Dietz Krebs

March 15, 2019 By Angie Hoschouer Leave a Comment

A nationally recognized writer on music, Betty began her career at the age of 15 when she wrote freelance music reviews for the former Dayton Journal newspaper. During her 53 years at the Dayton Daily News, she held the positions of women’s page editor, art critic and arts editor.

During World War II, she held brief stints in nearly every editorial post at the paper and in the 1950s, she hosted her own television show on WHIO-TV. It was in 1962 that Betty created the annual Ten Top Women Awards program that honors women who have made significant community achievements. To date, more than 550 women have the the honor as a Ten Top Women Awards recipient.

Betty Dietz married William J. Krebs who was a nationally known choral conductor and founder of the Dayton Philharmonic Chorus.

Mrs. Krebs was born on February 14, 1921 in Dayton, Ohio and died on December 31, 1999 in Dayton at the age of 78. She is buried in Section 126 Lot 398.

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. Most of Dayton’s aviation heroes, inventors and business barons are buried at Woodland.

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.

Luminaries of Dayton: Anthony C. Brown

January 26, 2019 By Angie Hoschouer

Anthony Brown was born in Sussex County, New Jersey on September 15, 1816. He came to Ohio in 1817 with his parents and settled in Greene County in 1825. He arrived in Dayton in 1851 with his brother, Henry M. Brown. Together they established a hat store in 1837. Anthony inherited the hat store in 1861 after Henry died. The business was located on North Main Street where a full line of hats of the very best quality and of the latest styles were kept.

Anthony C. Brown died on October 17, 1891 at the age of 75. The memorial stone of Anthony C. Brown as noted in geological information taken from Professor Michael R. Sandy’s Guidebook No. 8, 1992 is of Sharon conglomerate, of Pennsylvania age, that crops out in northeastern Ohio. The bolder was transported by and deposited as the Pleistocene glaciers melted.

Anthony C. Brown is located in Section 101 Lot 1808.

Woodland Cemetery, founded in 1841, is one of the nation’s five oldest rural garden cemeteries and a unique cultural, botanical and educational resource in the heart of Dayton, Ohio as you will see as you read through this new MostMetro.com series. 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.

Luminaries of Dayton: Charles G. Bickham

November 3, 2018 By Angie Hoschouer

Charles Goodwin Bickham received the Medal of Honor for “distinguished gallantry” on May 2, 1902, in the Battle of Bayang, during the Moro Rebellion. Lt. Bickham carried a wounded soldier across a “fire swept field.” His medal was awarded by Theodore Roosevelt on April 28, 1904.

He served on the staff of Ohio Governor William McKinley. During the Spanish-American War, he served in Company G, 3rd Regiment, Ohio National Guard, and later in the Ninth Regiment, U.S. Volunteer Infantry. He served during the Philippine-American War in the 28th Regiment, U.S. Volunteer Infantry, under Col. William E. Birkhimer. After receiving his commission in the regular army as a Lieutenant, he served again in the Philippines with the 27th U.S. Infantry under then-Captain John J. Pershing. Lt. Bickham was honorably discharged from the army in June 1910. He never married.

Charles G. Bickham was born in 1867 and died in 1944. He is located in Section 101, Lot 1420. The bronze marker decorating the grave of Charles Bickham was placed there by a gentleman who traveled across the country visiting graves of Congressional Medal of Honor winners, personally paying for the honor of doing so.

Luminaries of Dayton: Jacob Stickle

October 28, 2018 By Angie Hoschouer Leave a Comment

Jacob Stickle was born in Neckar-Thailfingen, Wurettemberg, Germany on February 26, 1825, son of John Jacob and Katerina Stickle.

Jacob helped his father on the family farm until he was old enough to be apprenticed to a butcher. He learned the trade of butchering and stayed in the business until he immigrated to the United States, landing in New Orleans on May 1, 1849. He arrived in Dayton on the first of June.

On his arrival Jacob started working for Adam Happle, a meat packer whose business was located on Valley Pike in Mad River Township. He worked for $7 a week and board. After two years Jacob had saved enough money to rent a butcher’s stand and later opened a stall in Harshmanville, on Yellow Springs Pike, which he attended for seventeen years.

In 1868, Jacob purchased the brewery of Sander and Stoppelman on Warren Street. When he started the business he decided to use only the best quality products, and to make his beer out of only barley, malt and hops.

In 1881, the City Brewery building burnt down. Jacob Stickle rebuilt and enlarged it at an expense of eight thousand dollars, building a three and a half story brick factory. The ice houses had a storage capacity of 2,000 tons and the beer cellars of 3,000 barrels. The first year the business made 4,000 barrels of beer and by 1882 the brewery was producing 7,000 barrels annually. The business required ten men and several teams for delivering the beer to local businesses.

Jacob married Barbara Drechsel on August 31, 1851 and they had two children. Jacob’s son, William, later helped his father run the brewery. In 1890, the business moved to 653 and 655 Warren Street. Jacob Stickle merged his brewery with The Dayton Breweries Company in 1904 and then sold out his part.

Jacob died on November 20, 1908 and is buried in Section 63 Lot 1126.

Luminaries of Dayton: Harold K. Omer

October 13, 2018 By Angie Hoschouer

L to R: Harold Omer, Ray Danner and Lee Cummings. Danner was the owner of Shoney’s, which at the time owned the Famous Recipe franchise.

The founding of Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken.

Lee Cummings, the nephew of Colonel Harland Sanders, spent his childhood in the kitchen of his Henryville, Indiana home. Lee hit the road with his Uncle Harland in 1952, selling their own special blend of spices along with their famous pressure cookers, which later became part of KFC’s “secret Recipe”. In three years, Lee and the Colonel opened over 800 KFC stores. In 1962, the Colonel sold KFC to John Y. Brown.

After the sale of KFC, Lee Cummings started developing his recipe later to be known as “Famous Recipe.” In 1966, Lee along with Harold Omer started “Harold’s Take-Home” in Lima, Ohio where Lee first introduced Famous Recipe Chicken.

By 1967, Lee and Bob Burick in Springfield, Ohio opened the fifth franchise store. Later that year, stores followed in Dayton and Cincinnati as well as in Michigan.

In 1972, Famous Recipe had 100 stores and by 1979 the number had doubled to 200. In 1981, Lee Cummings sold the chain to Shoney’s Restaurant in Nashville, Tennessee and in 1995, it was sold to RTM Restaurant Group in Atlanta, Georgia.

Locally, there are two major franchisees in the Miami Valley that keep the tradition of Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken in the community.

Harold Omer was also a manager of aerospace engineering at Lima’s Westinghouse plant. Sometimes he would leave the office and go straight to his second job of frying chicken.

Harold K. Omer died in 1999. He is located in Section 100 of the Woodland Mausoleum.

Luminaries of Dayton: Frederick and Otto Euchenhofer

October 7, 2018 By Angie Hoschouer 1 Comment

Frederick H. Euchenhofer was born in Switzerland about 1812 and came to American when twenty years old. For a few years he lived in one of the eastern states and then moved to Miamisburg in 1836. Frederick opened a bakery and confectionery store there, running a successful business until 1848, when he came to Dayton. He purchased the old Columbus House and ran it as a hotel until 1863.

In 1861, Frederick opened the Third Street Lager Beer Brewery on 1513 East Third Street. The brewery was made of brick, two stories high and had a cellar. In addition, there were three individual cellars, separate from the main building that were capable of storing 1,200 barrels. The brewery was bought by Miller and Ritzler in 1867, but Euchenhofer rebought the brewery five years later.

Frederick later changed the name of the brewery to Third Street Brewery about 1887. In 1888, over 3,500 barrels were being produced each year, most of them being consumed in the home. The annual trade for that year was in excess of $25,000.

Frederick was a charter member of, and a director in, the Teutonia Insurance Company of Dayton, which was one of the most successful financial institutions in the city. Fraternally, Frederick was an Odd Fellow and a member of the Harugari. The German Order of Harugari, sometimes called the Ancient Order of Harugari or by its German name, Der Deutsche Orden der Harugari, was a mutual benefit and cultural association of German Americans founded in New York City in 1847 that was at one time the largest German secret society in the United States. The objectives were mutual protection in a time of high German immigration and anti-German sentiment in the U.S., and preservation of German language and culture. The order forbade discussion of religion, politics, or social issues. The name Harugari comes from the old German word Haruc. It may be roughly translated as “The Teutonic spirit (or priest) of the oak tree.”

Frederick was a Lutheran and in politics a Republican. He was married twice. His only child from the first marriage, Albert, died in February, 1892. His second marriage was to Caroline Disher. They were married in Dayton and had ten children.

Frederick H. Euchenhofer died on February 3, 1891. Caroline died on November 22, 1938. They are located in Section 103 Lot 1619.

Otto Frederick Euchenhofer was born about 1857 in Dayton, Ohio. He belonged to the St. Luke’s German Lutheran Church. He was the father of four children.

Otto Euchenhofer took over the Third Street Brewery on 1513 East Third Street in 1892 and changed the name to Third Street Ale Brewery. Unfortunately, records show that the brewery slipped in business under Otto’s management. By 1895, the brewery’s yield was only 1,000 barrels, down from 4,000 in 1890. He sold the business to Henry B. Pruden and Peter J. Altherr in 1896.

Otto Frederick Euchenhofer died on May 20, 1912. He is located in Section 103 Lot 1619.

History & Halloween combine at Huffman’s Spooky Tour

October 1, 2018 By Dayton Most Metro

If you’ve ever driven or taken a stroll down Linden Avenue in the Huffman Historic District, you may have been struck by the beauty of the tunnel of oak and linden trees that create a continuous canopy overhead. Or perhaps you were too distracted by the stately collection of Queen Anne, Italianate, and Eastlake Victorian homes. Especially in the fall, there’s a certain magic in the air in Huffman when jack-o-lanterns grace front porch steps and the leaves of the tree canopy transition to autumn colors.

This October 12th and 13th, that magic will be alive and well when the Huffman Historic Neighborhood Association puts on their biannual, guided home tour, “The Spirit of Huffman.” The Spirit of Huffman home tour’s tagline is, “Where Halloween and History Collide,” and, indeed it’s true, when the outing offers tour goers a visual feast of Halloween decorations and entertainment dispersed among the Victorian homes.

Participants of the home tour will be guided through the neighborhood, established in the 1860s through the 1890s by William P. Huffman, stopping to tour nine unique homes: one totally renovated house, a home bought through auction, homes renovated through Rehabarama, one home that housed the neighborhood post office, and two houses that were doctor’s offices. They will encounter an extensive collection of Halloween decorations, marble mantles, one-of-a-kind woodwork, bay windows, original hitching posts for horses, original carriage houses, carpenter’s lace, fretwork, corbels, towers, and curved-glass windows. Along the way, they’ll take note of Dayton’s first brick school house, two beautiful Victorian churches with active congregations, and an old market that is looking at a second life. They’ll hear about the importance of the community’s connection to the country’s largest manufacturer of bicycles.

Each time The Spirit of Huffman Tour is presented, visitors are entertained. In addition to being a tour of today’s homes, this is an energized evening walk through time. Expect to meet up with Huffman residents of a century ago who are scheduled to make an historic return engagement this year – just in time to make the past live again. Visitors are advised: It is likely you will be transported beyond the Victorian architecture you are coming to see. Come prepared for several “Close Encounters of the Huffman Kind” as they pull back the curtain on time, revealing William Huffman’s new dream for a diverse community of bankers, laborers, shopkeepers, and street vendors at a moment when it is all so exciting and new. When you come, be sure to listen carefully. The winds of change are rustling through the prairie grasses outside the city. It is 1870 and thanks to one man’s vision, Huffman Prairie is about to transform into the vibrant “Inner East” of Dayton.

Tickets are on sale now! To learn more about the Spirit of Huffman Tour please visit their website at www.SpiritofHuffman.com, or contact [email protected]

A special thank you to sponsors DK Effects, LinkDayton, Blackbox Improv, Dayton Most Metro, St. Anne the Tart, Gem City Podcast and our great neighborhood of volunteers helping to keep the Spirit of Huffman alive.

How to Go?

When: October 12 and 13, 2018

Where: Huffman Historic District – 19 Linden Avenue, Dayton, OH 45403

Tickets: $18

buy online here

Note: This tour is not recommended for children under the age of 12.

What are my transportation/parking options for getting to and from the event?

Once you arrive for the tour signs and guides will help to find parking.

What can I bring into the event?

This event is rain or shine. Please come prepared with umbrellas and/or ponchos in the event of rain. We will have flashlights to share but are limited. Feel free to bring your own.

Luminaries of Dayton: William Judkins Conklin, M. D.

September 19, 2018 By Angie Hoschouer

William Judkins Conklin, A. M., M. D., was born in Sidney, Ohio on December 1, 1844. He entered the Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware, Ohio where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1866. He began the study of medicine with his father, Dr. H. S. Conklin, one of the most prominent physicians of the Miami Valley and graduated from the Medical College of Ohio in the spring of 1868.

In 1869, the Detroit Medical College placed upon him the ad eundem degree, a courtesy degree awarded by one university or college to an alumnus of another. In May, he was appointed assistant physician of the Dayton Asylum for the Insane, a position he held until December 1871 when he resigned to accept a partnership with Dr. J. C. Reeve. In 1876, he was appointed by Governor R. B. Hayes a member of the Board of Trustees of the Dayton Asylum for the Insane. From 1875 to 1886, he was a member of the faculty of Starling Medical College in Columbus, Ohio, first as professor of physiology and afterward as professor of the diseases of children. He was a member of the American Medical Association, the Ohio State Medical Society, the State Sanitary Association, and the Montgomery County Medical Society. He was also a member of the surgical staff of St. Elizabeth Hospital and was also in association with Miami Valley Hospital.

Dr. Conklin was a frequent contributor to both medical and literary journals. In Dayton, he served as Director of the Merchants National Bank. In 1875, Dr. Conklin married Catherine Beckel, daughter of Daniel Beckel. Their son, Dr. Daniel Beckel Conklin, was associated with him in his medical practice.

William Judkins Conklin died on October 31, 1916. He is located in Section 52 Lot 1167.

Luminaries of Dayton: David D. Albritton

August 14, 2018 By Angie Hoschouer

David D. Albritton was an Olympic medalist, state legislator, and longtime Dayton businessman. He won a silver medal in the high-jumping competition at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, competing alongside his lifelong friend and Ohio State University teammate Jesse Owens. He established the world high jump record, at that time, with a leap of 6 feet, 9 and 7/8 inches. He later became a teacher and coach at Dunbar High School, where he led the team to three state track championships and broke the segregation barrier, leading the way for Dunbar to compete in the Public High School League. In 1960, Mr. Albritton was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives. The Ohio Amateur Athlete of the Year award is named in Dave Albritton’s honor.

Mr. Albritton died on May 14, 1994. He is located in Section 300 Lot 86.

Luminaries of Dayton: August Becherer

August 7, 2018 By Angie Hoschouer Leave a Comment

August Becherer was born in Germany. He served as a Captain in the Fourth Ohio Cavalry during the Civil War. He was a member of nearly every soldier’s organization in the city of Dayton at the time of his death.

John B. Wager, August Becherer and Henry Hilgefort opened the Lager Beer Brewery about 1854. It was located on the southeast comer of Hickory and Brown Streets. In 1859, August decided to try it alone and bought out his partners. In 1861, Becherer took on Henry Hussmann as a partner and changed the name to Ohio Brewery. Three years later Hussmann had had enough and left to open a grocery store. August tried again, taking on Phillip Ritter as a partner in 1868, but it only lasted two years. He finally found a lasting partner in Frank Becherer, who became part owner in 1870 and stayed with the company until it was sold to Michael Seubert and Otto C. R. Wilke in 1879. August went on to open the Oakwood Brewery that same year and Frank went to work for August.

August Becherer died at his home on Brown Street on May 11, 1885 at the age of 50. He is located in Section 111 Lot 2324.

Luminaries of Dayton: John F. Edgar

July 31, 2018 By Angie Hoschouer

John F. Edgar was born October 19, 1814 on the farm that Robert, his father, had established in 1811, on the hills east of Wayne Avenue in Dayton. John received his formal education mostly on his father’s farm and the “Old Red Schoolhouse,” the former tavern of William VanCleve. Mr. Edgar lost his appeal for farming and eventually turned to the trade practiced earlier by his father, that of building contracting. His father helped provide him with all the secrets of the trade and by the year of 1832, he became a sole agent, becoming extremely successful at his craft. In 1838, because of his building contracts, he worked on railroad and turnpike construction projects and soon became an incorporator and secretary of the Dayton-Springfield Turnpike. By 1842, he was one of the organizers of the Mad River and Lake Erie Railroad and was appointed superintendent. John F. Edgar was an original subscriber to the 1841 Woodland Cemetery Association.

About the time of the Civil War, Mr. Edgar left the construction business and opened a family grocery on Main Street. It was while conducting business and conversing with the various citizens that he was able to learn firsthand accounts from those directly involved with the city’s development. He soon became so apt in his knowledge of local history that he was considered by many as the official historian and received much acclaim. His history book, “Pioneering Life in Dayton & Vicinity,” was published and available when the Centennial of Dayton was observed for one week, beginning on September 14, 1896. Needless to say, it met with instant success. Today his work is still being read and borrowed from by so many of us who are caught up in the study of our city’s history.

John Farris Edgar died on August 15, 1905 at the age of 90. He is located in Sec 57 Lot 44.

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.

Luminaries of Dayton: Swords as a cemetery symbol

July 5, 2018 By Angie Hoschouer

Crossed swords are often see on the gravestones of veterans, especially officers and symbolizes that the deceased died in battle.

G. A. R. – stands for Grand Army of the Republic, a fraternal organization for men who fought and were honorably discharged from the Union Army during the Civil War.

On Capt. Curtis’s head stone we find quite a bit of information. His rank, his regiment and state served from, where he died in battle and date and his age at death.

Capt. D. K. Curtis of the 11 REG ONG fell at Mission Ridge, Tenn. November 25, 1863. Aged 23 years, 11 months, 17 days.

John S. Downs was a Civil War Union Army Officer. He served during the Civil War as Captain and commander of Company B, 4th New York Volunteer Infantry. He was killed at the Battle of Antietam during his regiment’s participation in the Union assault on the Sunken Road. His name is inscribed on the 4th New York Infantry Monument that stands in the Antietam National Cemetery, and on the New York State Monument in the Antietam National Battlefield.

Captain Downs died on September 17, 1862 at the age of 38.

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. Fore more information call 937-228-3221 or visit the Woodland website.

Luminaries of Dayton: Daniel C. Cooper

June 11, 2018 By Angie Hoschouer

What if Dayton had been named Cooperstown?

Seventeen days after the Treaty of Greenville, Judge Cleves Symmes of New Jersey, sold the seventh and eight ranges of his vast land holdings, between the Great Miami and Mad Rivers on one side and the little Miami on the other to Governor Arthur St. Clair, General Jonathan Dayton, General James Wilkinson, and Colonel Israel Ludlow. Jonathan Dayton was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence but he never saw or visited his name-sake city. Gen. St. Clair employed Benjamin VanCleve and Daniel C. Cooper, a surveyor, to be their agent. Cooper blazed the trail from Fort Hamilton up the east bank of the Miami River to the mouth of the Mad River. The next expedition was conducted personally by Colonel Ludlow on November 4, 1795.

During the winter of 1795, forty six men in Cincinnati agreed to settle in the new town but when the time came, only nineteen responded. William Hamer and George Newcom were in charge of the two overland parties, which would follow the trail laid out previously by Cooper. Newcom’s party, walked the distance of 55 miles, taking two weeks to make the journey. The Samuel Thompson party made the journey in ten days, by pirogue. Benjamin VanCleve was one that helped propel the boat. It was a long narrow boat which had boards running along each side which walked those who would propel the boat. They would hold their poles against the bottom of the river near the head of the boat and bringing the ends of the poles to their shoulders and then walked slowly down the running board to the stern, returning at a quick pace to the bow for a new set. VanCleve, who surveyed with Daniel Cooper, was so impressed with the Dayton area, that it was his enthusiasm which enticed the settlers to make the journey.

Newcom’s Tavern was the first cabin erected, and soon the town was well under way, but trouble soon erupted in 1800, and the town nearly folded. Judge Cleves Symmes had not made good on his government land contract. The U. S. Government decided to increase their demand for payment from the original 68 cents per acre to 2 dollars per acre. Some of the Dayton settlers left town in disgust. In 1802, only five families remained in Dayton.

Cooper Female Academy

It was Daniel C. Cooper who came to the aid of the settlers. Most of all it was Cooper’s utmost faith in Dayton which moved him to action. Therefore a petition from his own hand was dispatched to Congress telling them what a hard time the Dayton people were having, how faithfully they had worked and how cruel it would be to dispossess them after such a good start. Cooper then took over on his own responsibility the title risk and bought outright from each settler his holdings, until practically the whole of Dayton was his. Because of Cooper’s generosity, the town was forever free of invalid titles and all future arrivals had their titles secured. Cooper donated land areas for churches, schools and businesses and even two cemeteries.

Daniel Cooper was the first surveyor, he also donated the land for the first graveyard located at Third and Main streets in 1805 and again donated land about 10 years later to establish the Fifth Street Graveyard located between Ludlow and Wilkinson streets. It was at his mill in 1799, that the first death was recorded, that of John Davis, and due to the death of Mr. Davis, the first fire department was established. Mr. Cooper also had the first distillery which was located on his farm in 1799, and he ran the first carriage in 1817.

“In no way did Daniel Cooper confer a greater benefit upon his town,” wrote Robert W. Steele in his history, “than by inducing a number of men of

superior education, character and business capacity to come here from his native New Jersey and other places between 1804 and 1808.” Charles Russell Greene, Joseph Pierce and Horatio Gates Phillips were among those men.

From the Roz Young series of articles written about Cooper and published in the Dayton Daily News in 1994, she writes:

On the morning of July 13, 1818, Phillips walked to Cooper’s house. “The church bell was delivered to my place this morning,” he said.
Cooper looked at his pocket watch. “There’s time to take it to the church before lunch,” he told Phillips. “I’ll pick it up directly.”

He fetched a wheelbarrow from his barn and pushed it to the store on the southeast corner of Second and Main. He set the wheelbarrow down by the bell where it rested on the gravel street. It never occurred to him to ask Phillips to help him load the bell on the wagon. It was heavy, and he tugged and pulled and strained to hoist it into the barrow. The veins on his forehead head stood out as the blood rushed through them as he struggled. Finally with the bell in the wheelbarrow, he started for the church.

He started down Second Street, but before he had gone very far, his hands lost their grasp on the barrow handles and he fell over in the street.

Daniel Cooper was dead. A blood vessel in his brain had burst.

When he died, Cooper was 45, the leading citizen of Dayton. He had a beautiful wife and a 6-year-old son. He had recently begun building a new home, which was planned to be the most imposing, elegant house in Dayton.

His death stunned the community.

Of all the land that Cooper gave to the city, only the plot he gave “for a public walk forever” still remains. The Montgomery County Public Library was built on the land, and for a few years the surrounding area was called Library Park. But finally the city fathers passed a resolution that it should be called Cooper Park.

Cooper Park Historical Marker

Near the rear entrance of the library the Montgomery County Historical Society erected a marker in 1974, which reads:

Cooper Park

Daniel C. Cooper (1773-1818) perhaps more than any other deserves to be called the founder of Dayton. A surveyor with Israel Ludlow, Cooper settled in Dayton in the summer of 1796 and became the titular owner of the town when the original proprietors defaulted. He platted the city, laying out broad streets “four poles wide” and built most of the early mills. Cooper served as Dayton’s first justice of the peace and as a member of the state legislature. He donated ground for a graveyard, lots for churches, schools and public buildings, as well as the land for this park.

Daniel Cooper died on July 13, 1818. He was the 28th interment at Woodland Cemetery having been removed from the old 5th Street Cemetery to Woodland on May 4, 1844. He is located in Section 55 Lot 1.

July 13, 2018 marks the 200th Anniversary of the death of Daniel Cooper. We hope you will come out to pay a visit to the “Father of Dayton” and thank him for putting the Gem City on the map.