Many Daytonians may remember being enthralled by the animated store windows around the holidays.
The iconic Rike’s Department Store displays were a popular holiday tradition in downtown Dayton for decades and are now featured annually in the Schuster Center’s Wintergarden.
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For this edition of Vintage Dayton, we went into the archives for the story of the Rike’s holiday window displays and how for many Daytonians, it’s just not Christmas without seeing the animated characters that once delighted shoppers at Rike’s.
More on Dayton’s holiday history
• ‘I wanted it to be a fun party’: Remembering 40 years of the Beerman Family Thanksgiving Day dinners
• Parties, parades, concerts: How Dayton has celebrated July 4, from 1913 to today
• Orphans, monuments and Memorial Hall: Local ties to the origin of Memorial Day
Did you know?
Here are a few great Dayton history facts we’ve learned from our stories:
• Dayton swimmer Charles Daniels is credited with inventing the “American Crawl,” known today as the freestyle breast stroke.
Nicknamed the ‘Human Fish,’ Daniels earned his fame in competitive swimming, with 53 national championships and 314 swimming medals and cups before he retired at 26.
• Dorothy Lane Market got its start as a fruit stand Dorothy Lane and Far Hills Avenue in 1948.
Founders Calvin D. Mayne and Frank Y. Sakada met while shopping at the M&H market on South Dixie Drive and later decided to go into business together.
• Before there was UD Arena, a different arena was proposed for the same location.
In 1948, a $4 million War Memorial Sports Arena was proposed on 110 acres donated by NCR, across the Great Miami River from the Deeds Carillon. A tax levy to provide funds for the arena failed, dooming the project.
We want your help!
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Let us know and we’ll include them in future newsletters.
A reader recently asked if we know more about Friendly’s restaurants in the area. We found a story published last year about the restaurant chain.
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Thank you for reading.
