Five Things You Didn’t Know About Dayton, OH

Dayton OH is certainly not one of the most popular cities in the United States. In fact, if you aren’t from the area, you probably don’t spend much time — if any — thinking about this relatively small midwestern city. Let’s be real, the midwest doesn’t exactly have a reputation for being fun or exciting. However, Dayton is proof that you don’t have to be popular to be interesting. With a population just over 141,000, Dayton has a history that dates all the way back to the 1700s, and it’s a city that is constantly growing and evolving. Whether you’re a lifelong resident of the city, or just interested in learning about new places, Dayton definitely has a past that is well-worth talking about. Here are five things you didn’t know about Dayton OH.

Dayton is older than Ohio 

These days, it’s pretty hard to imagine any major city in America not being attached to a state, but that wasn’t always the case. As we already know, the United States has changed countless times since the original colonies were founded, and many of those changes are not as well-known as others. In fact, the city of Dayton was founded in 1796, several years before Ohio even became a state.

image via www.daytonhistorybooks.com

Lots of things were invented in Dayton

Being creative and striking out on your own are two of the necessary ingredients to attaining the American dream. After all, the entire country was founded by people who were willing to take big risks, and endure a lot of trial and error. Well, if there’s one place that knows a thing or two about train and error, it’s Dayton. This city is home to more inventors per capita than any other city in the country. In fact, you may not even realize that some of the things you use every day were invented in Dayton including the lightbulb, rubber, and cash registers.

image via eBay.com

Also known as Gem City

Most people know Dayton as simply, well, Dayton. However, this city also has a pretty glamorous nickname: Gem City. Although nobody is quite sure where the name comes from, there are several theories, including one which claims that the name comes from a racehorse named Gem who was very successful during the 1840s.

image via www.city-data.com

Home of flight

As we’ve already established, Dayton is the home of some pretty awesome inventions. However, none is quite as impressive as the Wright Brothers invention of the powered aircraft. The Wright brothers, who were born in Dayton OH, did most of their work there as they aimed to master the design of the aircraft. That’s right, although North Carolina is considered “first in flight,” the fixed-wind airplane was mastered right in Dayton OH.

image via time.com

Operates a Trolleybus system

There was once a time when Trolleybuses were popular and cities all over the country. However, as transportation evolved, trolleys became less practical and people began using other ways to get around. Well, Dayton is one of the remaining cities that still has an operational trolley system which has been running since 1933. The system consists of seven lines that operate all throughout the city, and taking a ride on the trolley is a must for anyone who takes a trip to Dayton.

image via commons.wikimedia.org

lead image via www.puroclean.com