We began our Spring walk at Carillon Historical Park. The park invites you to
sample Dayton’s rich heritage of creativity and invention! Founded by
Colonel Edward and Edith Deeds, the Park is situated on a beautiful 65-acre
tact of land between the Great Miami River and a glacial moraine.
The Park immerses you in the region's history - from Dayton's founding
in 1796 through two centuries of expansion, industrialism and innovation.
Learn about these revolutionary achievements while strolling through the
Park's 25 historical buildings and interacting with the hundreds
of artifacts in our exhibits.
Where else can you see the original 1905 Wright Flyer III, the world's first
practical airplane and National Historic Landmark,
the 1835 B&O (Grasshopper)
steam locomotive, and the first automobile self-starter?
The William Morris House - 1815 stone cottage built in what is now
Centerville (a suburb of Dayton).
Newcom Tavern, also known as the "Old Cabin", is a historic structure in
Dayton, Ohio. It was built in 1796 by Colonel George Newcom,
one of the first settlers in Dayton. The Newcom Tavern, was
the first structure in the Dayton area.
The size of the cabin was doubled two years after it was built and it
served as Dayton's first school, first church, courthouse, council chamber
and store. It was best known as a crossroads tavern.
The Carillon...The park is named for the 151-foot-tall Deeds Carillon.
The carillon tower was built in 1942.
Today, with 57 bells, the carillon is Ohio’s largest.
Carillon Park refurbished the carillon in 1988, converting it
from an electric keyboard controlled instrument to a traditional,
baton-keyboard mechanical carillon. It is one of the gems of Dayton!
We then headed to Oakwood, just a stone's throw from Dayton, to walk around Hawthorne Hill.
Hawthorn Hill, the Oakwood mansion that Orville Wright called home for nearly 35 years,
The building itself has had a long and colorful history of hosting distinguished visitors. Charles A. Lindbergh,
internationally acclaimed for his 1927 solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean, was invited to visit in June of that
year on his return flight home to St. Louis. During his visit with Orville, throngs of people gathered on the
lawns of the house, hoping for an impromptu view of this newest American hero. The unruly crowd
dispersed only after Lindbergh and Orville appeared together on the front portico balcony for a few short
minutes. Several years later, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and former Ohio Governor James
Middleton Cox stopped at Hawthorn Hill to pick up Orville for a joint visit to Wright Field.
internationally acclaimed for his 1927 solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean, was invited to visit in June of that
year on his return flight home to St. Louis. During his visit with Orville, throngs of people gathered on the
lawns of the house, hoping for an impromptu view of this newest American hero. The unruly crowd
dispersed only after Lindbergh and Orville appeared together on the front portico balcony for a few short
minutes. Several years later, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and former Ohio Governor James
Middleton Cox stopped at Hawthorn Hill to pick up Orville for a joint visit to Wright Field.
Even after Orville’s death in 1948, the mansion continued to welcome individuals from across the country
and around the world. When efforts to find an individual to purchase the home failed, the executors of
Orville’s estate listed the property on the real estate market. The National Cash Register Company, at the
direction of executives Colonel Edward Deeds and Stanley Allyn, decided to purchase the property on the
very day that the “For Sale” sign was placed in the yard. NCR meticulously cared for the home during its
nearly 60 years of service as a corporate guest house. The company returned the property to the Wright
family in 2006. Now the grand home is available for tours and open to anyone!
and around the world. When efforts to find an individual to purchase the home failed, the executors of
Orville’s estate listed the property on the real estate market. The National Cash Register Company, at the
direction of executives Colonel Edward Deeds and Stanley Allyn, decided to purchase the property on the
very day that the “For Sale” sign was placed in the yard. NCR meticulously cared for the home during its
nearly 60 years of service as a corporate guest house. The company returned the property to the Wright
family in 2006. Now the grand home is available for tours and open to anyone!
I hope you have enjoyed our little walk today and learned a bit about
the history of my hometown!
the history of my hometown!
Warmly,
Susie Q
