Hidden History of Dayton, Ohio

by Anthony Kroeger

Beyond the Wright brothers and the cash register, Dayton's rich history contains numerous astounding and overlooked people, events and places. One of the city's founders was involved in a conspiracy ring led by none other than disgraced former vice president Aaron Burr. Seemingly innocuous warehouses in a west Dayton residential neighborhood served as laboratories for the triggering mechanism of the atomic bomb. An obscure door located on a hillside once led to National Cash Register's secret underground tunnel system, and a curious stone wall along the Mad River served as an aqueduct abutment for the Miami-Erie Canal. Author Tony Kroeger unveils the historical features that give Dayton its character.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

144 pages, Paperback

Published February 22, 2021

Reviews

[Ted · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn't a typical history book about Dayton - no real mention of the Wright Brothers, Paul Laurence Dunbar, the great 1913 flood, John Patterson, Deeds and the rest. It really is about the location of the City - so the history starts with the ice age, and what shaped its fortune, and how its citizens endeavored to shape transportation in and out of Dayton and the effects this had on Dayton's fortunes. Districts, buildings, streets, canals, railroad, highways are all essential to the story, and their changing over time shapes Dayton and also contributes to how Dayton shapes history. I found it an informative and enjoyable read and learned about Dayton's founding fathers, many of whom were notorious in one way or another.

[Terri · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some parts were interesting. Some were not.

[Nate Lyons · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good treatment of the more obscure landscape and architecture hiding (often in plain sight) here in the Gem City.

[Derick Latimer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Could’ve used a better editor/proofreader, but that aside; a very interesting book. I learned a lot!

[Katrina Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fascinating read, though I was expecting a spookier read and it was just telling forgotten history of the area. I wish it would have gone into the areas around Dayton, though adding them would have definitely made for a very large book and one that may not have been as fun.
His writing was approachable, and easy to read, but also gave an air of scholarly reads, so that the information came across as reputable. He had a great amount of research and it showed.
I think more pictures to accent the descriptions he gave of the architecture, as sometimes it was not as easy to imagine.
The chapter about the 'revitalization' efforts in the mid-century and the eventual failure and loss to previously vibrant communities was very eye-opening. It goes to show that social science is still evolving and it will be a long time until we get cities figured out.
It was also fascinating to learn the geology of the area and how the last glaciers gave us great deposits of gravel/aggregate.