Dayton

DAYTON, a city of south-western Ohio, U.S.A., on the Great Miami river, 55m. N.N.E. of Cincinnati; a port of entry, the county seat of Montgomery county, and a leading centre of avia tion research. It is served by the Baltimore and Ohio, the Big Four, the Erie, the Pennsylvania, and 5 inter-urban electric rail ways, and by 14 motor bus and motor truck lines operating over the hard-surfaced roads which radiate in every direction. There are three commercial and two Government airports and numerous emergency landing fields. The population was 152,559 in 192o, of whom 9,o25 were negroes (an increase of 86% in ten years), and 13,Iii were foreign-born white (nearly a third from Germany) ; and was 2oo,982 in 193o by the Federal census. About 7o% are natives of Ohio.

The city covers 17 sq.m. of level ground 74of t. above sea-level, in a wide river trough, where three rapid streams (Wolf creek, Stillwater river and Mad river) flow into the Miami. It is com pletely protected (since 1921) from all danger from floods. Boule yards and streets are wide and in the residential districts are lined with trees. The dwellings (49% of which were owned by the occu pants in 192 7) are for the most part small private houses, each with its own garden. Many of the factories are surrounded by attractive grounds. The public parks and playgrounds comprise 621ac. (including a 23ac. island in the Miami) and just south of the city there is a municipal country club (294ac. of natural f or est), with golf courses and tennis courts. The elimination of grade crossings within the city, and the construction of a boule vard on the bed of the abandoned Miami and Erie canal, were began in 1927. A comprehensive city plan (adopted in 192 5) is in process of development.

Dayton has had a commission-manager form of government since 1914. The water supply comes from driven wells 50-1 oof t. deep. Natural gas is used, and it is estimated that the supply will last until 1945 or 1950. Electric current, steam-generated, is pro vided by a super-power system, and the local power and light company furnishes steam heat to a considerable area in the cen tral part of the city. The city has one of the few financially suc cessful municipal garbage-reduction plants. Both the death rate and the cost of living are relatively low.

The manufactures are many and varied, with an aggregate out put in 1927 valued at $235,165,907. Dayton has long been known as the home of the National Cash Register company. In recent years it has become the leading producer, also, of electric-lighting and water plants for home use, electric refrigeration equipment, fare registers, computing scales, water softeners, fan belts, shoe makers' lasts, aeroplane parts, golf clubs and ice cream cones; and it makes all the Government stamped envelopes. "Precision industries" predominate, in which labour is more important than material, and skilled labour more important than unskilled. The percentage of women in industry is relatively low, and there is little child labour. Except in the building trades the "open shop" prevails. The making of aeroplanes at Dayton began with the ex periments of Orville and Wilbur Wright (q.v.) who in 1903 flew successfully the first heavier-than-air machine. During the World War the U.S. Government located its aviation experiment labora tories at McCook field, on the northern boundary of the city. When this became too small, the people of Dayton raised $400,000 in four days to buy a tract of 5,000ac. north-west of the city (in cluding the Wrights' original flying field), which they presented to the war department, to be a permanent home for the experi mental and research division of the Army Air Corps.

The annual volume of Dayton's wholesale business is estimated at $45,000,000; its retail trade at $353,000,000. In 1927 bank debits amounted to $1,132,335,779; post-office receipts were $2, 353,439; and the assessed valuation of property was The city has 79 public schools, including a normal college, and 17 parochial schools; 152 churches; and 4 daily newspapers, one of which is in German. It is the seat of the university of Dayton, a Roman Catholic institution (formerly St. Mary's college, founded in 185o) ; Bonebrake Theological seminary (United Brethren) ; and the Central Theological seminary of the German Reformed Church; also of an art institute (established 1919) . The Engineers' Club and the Foremen's Club are distinctive organ izations. The National Association of Foremen was founded in Dayton and its official organ is published there. The first house built in Dayton, a log cabin on the bank of the Miami, is pre served as a historic museum. There is a State hospital for the insane ; and a branch of the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers.

History.

The site of Dayton was bought in 1795 from John Cleves Symmes by a party of Revolutionary soldiers. It was laid out as a town in 1796 by Israel Ludlow, one of the owners, and named after Jonathan Dayton (176o-1824), who had fought in the Revolution and was at the time a representative of New Jersey in Congress. In 1803 it was made the county seat and in 1805 the town was incorporated. Growth was rapid after the opening of the Miami and Erie canal in 1828, and in 1841 it was chartered as a city. By 186o the population had reached 20,081, increasing to 38,678 in 188o, 85,333 in 1900 and 116,577 in 1910. In March 1913, the Miami valley was swept for five days by a steady down fall of rain, resulting in a great flood. Over 400 lives were lost in the valley, and damage to property was estimated at $1oo,000,000. When the waters receded, Dayton was left covered with mud and debris. A pestilence was averted only by prompt and energetic measures. Martial law was declared; food was distributed, and tents were put up for the homeless. A relief fund of $750,000 was disbursed by the American Red Cross and the Citizens' Relief committee. Steps were taken to prevent the recurrence of such a disaster. On June 28, 1915, the Miami Conservancy District, a political sub-division of the State, was established under a new law, for the purpose of building and maintaining flood control works in the Miami valley. The plan finally adopted com bined channel improvement with the construction of five great re tarding basins. Five dams (from 1,200 to 6,400f t. long; from 75 to 125ft. high; and from 38o to 785ft. thick at the base) were built across the upper valleys of the Miami and four of its tribu taries. Construction work began in 1918 and was completed in 1922. The cost was $32,000,000. Protection has been provided against a flood 4o% greater than that of 1913, and 20% greater than the maximum estimated to be possible. Following the flood Dayton adopted a commission-manager form of government, which came into effect on Jan. 1, 1914. It was the first large city to install a manager and there has been no disposition to return to the mayoralty system.

For an account of the flood of 1913 and the construction of the flood-control works see Technical Reports (10 vols.) by various authors, published by the Miami Conservancy district, Dayton, O.