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5-57 Erma Bombeck
Erma Fiste was born in Dayton on February 21, 1927. While attending Patterson Cooperative High School, she worked as a copygirl for the Dayton Herald. After graduating from the University of Dayton in 1949, she married Bill Bombeck. She returned to the Dayton Journal-Herald as a reporter. Four years later she left the paper to […]
4-57 Charles F. Kettering
Charles F. “Boss” Kettering was a prolific inventor. While at National Cash Register, he invented the first electric cash register. Kettering founded the Dayton Engineering Laboratories Company (Delco) in 1909 and developed the electric self-starter for automobiles, first used in 1912 Cadillacs. He also developed no-knock Ethyl gasoline, lacquer car finishes, four-wheel brakes, safety glass, […]
3-57 The Birth of Aviation
In 1899, Wilbur and Orville Wright of Dayton built a kite to test a revolutionary flight control system, and in 1900, built their first airplane (glider). With promising results, the Wrights built man-carrying gliders and airplanes to refine their ideas. Wind tunnel experiments led to accurate calculations of lift and drag. In 1903 in Kitty […]
2-57 (A) Mad River Road / Road from Cunningham’s to Mad River
The first overland route between Dayton and Cincinnati was cut by Daniel Cooper in 1795 to provide access to the new town of Dayton, located at the mouth of the Mad River in the Symmes Purchase. The survey, entered into the record by Cooper and Dr. John Hole, extended Harmer’s Trace north from near Cunningham’s […]
1-57 Germantown Covered Bridge
Restored in 1963, the Germantown Covered Bridge on East Center Street, spanning Little Twin Creek, was 93 years old and is reputed to be the only existing covered bridge of its kind in the world. For 41 years this unique inverted bow string truss covered bridge spanned Little Twin Creek on the Dayton Pike in […]
6-56 Fly Landing of the Sistersville Ferry
The Sistersville Ferry is the longest continuously working mode of transportation in Monroe County, operating from 1815 to 2003. It crosses the Ohio River between Fly, Ohio, and Sistersville, West Virginia, which is the apex of the longest straight stretch on the Ohio River. This section of the river is called the “Long Reach,” which […]
5-56 Bent, Zigzag, and Crooked The Bellaire, Zanesville, and Cincinnati Railroad
Monroe County’s rugged terrain hindered commerce and communication during the 1800s. In the early 1870s Woodsfield businessmen, led by banker Samuel L. Mooney, promoted a narrow-gauge railroad to connect to the Baltimore and Ohio at Bellaire. Narrow gauge railroads were popular during this boom era because they cost less to build and operate than standard-gauge […]
4-56 Sad Sam Jones, 1892-1966 / Mary Weddle-Hines
With 229 victories, Woodsfield’s Samuel Pond Jones, or Sad Sam Jones, was one of professional baseball’s top pitchers in the early 1900s. He started his 22-year career with the Cleveland Indians in 1914 and later played for the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, St. Louis Browns, Washington Senators, and Chicago White Sox. He posted […]
3-56 Sardis Historic Town Pump
Monroe County’s ground-water resources are valuable assets for its people and economy. Especially notable are the substantial quantities of water that can be obtained in the medium sand and gravel underground aquifers located on the eastern side of the county. The Sardis Town Pump, which taps into one of these aquifers, has been in continuous […]
2-56 Frederick Kindelberger Stone House and Barn
These structures stand as an exception to the usual wood frame or brick construction of farm buildings in this region in the late nineteenth century. The house and barn, built circa 1871 and 1883-1885 respectively, reflect Frederick Kindelberger’s (1835-1911) creativity and vision to instill a responsibility to the land. The Kindelberger family purchased the farm […]