This Week in Dayton History: Dayton’s first fire house, Frisch’s closes downtown and more stories to remember

Throughout this year, we’ll be celebrating the 125th anniversary of the Dayton Daily News with stories, photos, videos and more.

Each week, we’ll bring you a selection of notable stories that happened this week in Dayton history, chronicled by the same newspaper that continues to serve the community today.

Here’s a look at some stories happening the week of Aug 27-Sept. 2.

Aug. 31, 1937: Dayton’s first fire engine house to be abandoned as safety measure

The old “No. 1″ fire house at Fifth and Brown streets was in bad condition.

An official order was received for men and equipment to abandon the structure as a safety precaution.

The crew, five men with coats and helmets and a pumper, evacuated and relocated to “No. 3″ fire house as a temporary measure.

At the time it was unknown if the 80-year-old structure would be repaired or torn down.

The building was originally owned by the Oregon Fire company, an independent volunteer fire-fighting organization, before being purchased by the city of Dayton on May 9, 1857 and converted into a publicly owned fire station.

The No. 1 station bell was considered an institution. For over 75 years it sounded at every alarm of fire in Dayton. It also chimed at 7 a.m., noon, 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. each day.

Aug. 27, 1949: General with a problem rises to the occasion

Maj. Gen. Lawrence C. Craigie, head of the Air Force Institute of Technology, was host to 150 Miami Valley business leaders at an “Industrial Day” event.

In October 1942, Craigie became the first military pilot in the United States to fly a jet aircraft.

One of the items Craigie wanted the guests to see was the high speed ejection seat at the Wright-Patterson Air Force base’s static test laboratory.

The seat was an experimental test model like the ones used in F-86 and other high speed jet fighters. The seat enabled pilots to eject from a plane traveling at speeds in excess of 500 miles per hour.

With no personnel available for a demo, the general himself strapped in to be launched. The general shot upward at 65 feet per second under the stress of over 14 G’s.

Aug. 28, 1959: Lone curb-side market almost a way of life

It was getting crowded at the curb-side market along Third Street in West Dayton, which ran from 4 a.m. to noon on Tuesdays, Thursday and Saturdays.

The market, which started in 1921, was the last open-air market still going, but was now seeing traffic jams. Delivery vehicles and customers alike were clogging up the street. Some people even arrived by bus.

Businesses in the area were not complaining. They were glad the market brought customers to the area. Some businesses were opening as early at 5:30 a.m. to take advantage of the early birds attending the market.

The market extended along Third Street and southward along Broadway and S. Williams St. It attracted farmers from New Lebanon, Farmersville, Clayton, Brookville, Lewisburg and North Dayton.

Customers could find everything from fresh vegetables, fruits, flowers to chickens, alive or dressed.

Sept. 1, 1968: Taxis try water-filled bumpers

Taxi drivers for Miami-Liberty and Checker cabs had just concluded their first two weeks with new water-filled bumpers.

They said it had already prevented serious injuries and was saving the companies “a bundle.”

On impact, the water bumpers exploded, sending water everywhere. Damage was found to be minimal up to 35 mph.

The rubber bumper replaced the metal fixture. Each had two heavy rubber compartments filled with water. Fifteen rubber stoppers held the water in the top compartment.

In a collision, the bottom compartment remained filled to cushion impact while the plugs in the top bumper pop out, spewing water everywhere, but also providing a cushioning effect.

Aug. 31, 1975: Year-round school a success

West Carrollton was experimenting with year-round schooling. Two groups at Valley Hills elementary and junior high school were called “blue track’ students. The program started in 1973.

School crowding was one reason for the year-round option. The junior high had 1,300 students in a building designed for 700.

The students went to school for nine weeks and then were off for three weeks, all year long.

Some students liked the schedule, saying they didn’t get bored with school and they didn’t get bored with vacation. There was also no dress code, so students could wear shorts and other clothing typical of other kids who were on summer break.

Aug. 30, 1987: Frisch’s downtown takes final order after 25 years

The Frisch’s Restaurant at 108 N. Main St., a fixture in downtown Dayton for a quarter century, was about to close its doors.

The restaurant, which opened in 1962, was being shut down to make way for the new 15-story, $35 million Citizens Federal tower.

Many longtime customers stopped in for one last breakfast, a last cup of coffee, many even brought their cameras to help preserve memories of the place.

When it opened, coffee was 15 cents a cup. By 1987 it was 60 cents. For many years the downtown Frisch’s was open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

“Twenty-five years is a long time. When I lock up this place today, it’ll be like saying goodbye to a member of my family,” said Frisch’s owner Hank Israel.

About the Author

Greg Lynch has been a photographer, digital specialist and digital content producer at Cox First Media for more than 30 years.