Through the years, it has made many moves, and the latest came this week when we reported the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery plans to invest about $10.5 million into its north Dayton facility.
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For this edition of Vintage Dayton, we went into the archives for the story of Dayton’s history in displaying or collecting natural history and the winding path of the museum.
More local museum history
• Air Force Museum history: From McCook Field hangar to massive Dayton attraction
• There was once a zoo at the Dayton Art Institute
Did you know?
Here are a few great Dayton history facts we’ve learned from our stories:
• Clock tower: There was once a seven-story clock tower at Sixth and Ludlow streets at the former Union Station. The last passenger train left the station in 1979.
• First of its kind: The Classic Theater is believed to be the first Black-built, Black-operated and Black-owned theater in the United States, opened in Dayton in 1926.
• Massive cross: The cross atop the blue dome of the University of Dayton’s Chapel of the Immaculate Conception is 7 feet, 4 inches tall, with the top of the cross reaching 95 feet from the ground.
• Great escape: Harry Houdini, known throughout the world for his magic and great escapes, mesmerized 6000 Daytonians in 1916 with an escape act at the Dayton Daily News building at Fourth and Ludlow Streets.
We want your help!
Do you have any requests or ideas that you would like to see us cover in this history newsletter?
What about cool old photos or stories of your own?
Let us know and we’ll include them in future newsletters.
A reader recently wrote in to ask if we had any information about John F. Kennedy’s visit to Dayton in 1960. Turns out he not only visited Dayton, but several other cities in the region, including Middletown, Springfield, West Carrollton and Fairborn.
• Click here for our story: JFK in the Miami Valley: A frenzied day in 1960
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Thank you for reading.
