Category: Moraine Historical Markers & Moraine History

The Miami & Erie Canal was one of the greatest accomplishments of the 1800’s as it linked Lake Erie to the North with the Ohio River to the South. It ferried settlers, livestock and supplies into the new growing state of Ohio. The first canal trip in our area was in December 1828 as a party of Daytonians aboard the packet boat “Alpha” journeyed through Moraine to Holes Creek. Eventually, a 24-hour trip from Dayton to Cincinnati, the boat made a stop at 9am and 2pm to allow passengers to get off, build a fire on the canal bank and cook a meal. The canal meant prosperity for entrepreneurs. You could work on the canal as boatman or toll collector, locate stores or businesses near the canal, or acquire rights to power generated by the canal locks for use in operating gristmills or sawmills.

In the 1880’s, the canal was still a popular recreational destination for a family out for a Sunday excursion where they sat on the top of the canal boat deck and enjoyed the scenery. The development of train transportation and the catastrophic Great Dayton Flood of 1913 put canal boat trafficking and canals out of business.

Captain Billy Combs was a spry 82 year old when he brought the last boat up the canal in 1909 through Moraine.  The canal boat was called the “De Camp Statler”.  Combs was hauling a big load of gravel from Newport on the last run on record from a payload on the upper canal. Harry Newton, whose father had brought the canal boat over from Wabash was on the last run with Combs. Photo #1 shows Billy pointing to the waterway that he fondly called “his canal”

Is there any visual evidence today remaining of the canal in Moraine? Not much. A canal lock still exists at Carillon Park and the canal winded around Calvary Ridge into Moraine from the North and follows Arbor Blvd. and Dryden Road south.  You can see the canal contour of land at Dryden & Krieitzer Road.  The old canal toll booth was a log cabin that still exists inside of the business at the corner of Kreitzer Road and Springboro West (Photo #2). 

The Moraine Historical Marker at the corner of Dryden Road and East River Road is the spot where Canal Lock #23 was located, lowering the water level going south. Lastly, where Dryden Road dead ends into Central Avenue/Dixie Drive, the canal turned right or southwest and headed into West Carrollton (see Photo#3).  Although not much remains today of this major transportation route that brought pioneers to Moraine, its history remains a vital part of how early Moraine was developed.

Take another nostalgic drive down memory lane as we cruise south down Kettering Blvd. in Moraine. Sixty years ago, it looked a lot different than today.  Just north of Stroop Road was a government-built WWII 500-unit housing project for Frigidaire workers coined Moraine Fields/Cardboard City which eventually became the Kettering Municipal Court Building and later the Kettering-Moraine Museum.  Across the street was a bar, barber shop and a grocery store with many names through the years from Stragand’s IGA Foodliner to Al & Joe’s Foodtown to Hatchers Food Center.

South of Stroop Road on the east side of Kettering Blvd. across from Frigidaire were mainly restaurants feeding the factory workers and residents.  At the corner was Dr. Higley’s Veterinarian office, followed by Angelina’s Pizza, the areas first McDonalds Restaurant, Arthur Treachers Fish and Chips, Robert Hall Clothing Store (which later became Hipple Cancer Research Center in 1977 and then Days Sales & Service Bike & Lawn Mower Shop) and Angelo’s Drive-In.

Angelina’s Pizza was run by Joe Marks and was known for the best pizza, great subs (the Gondola Sub and The Frigidaire Special were favorites), torpedo and cheesesteak sandwiches.  The McDonalds opened in 1962, a white enameled building with lighted golden arches. Customers would walk up to windows, place their order, and then eat their food in the car. I remember in 1964 the hamburgers cost only 15 cents each. Eventually indoor dining was added.

Next door, Arthur Treacher’s Fish & Chips restaurant offered fried fish, chips, hush puppies and shrimp boats. Lastly, next to Robert Halls at the corner of Kettering Blvd. and Marconi Avenue was Angelo’s Drive-in. Built in 1954, Angelo’s patrons could eat inside at tables with juke box controllers or park in one of 23 parking spaces under a long car port and order from the microphone box while sitting in your car. A car hop waitress would bring the food order out and collect the money. Hot rods cruised Angelo’s often. Locals remember seeing the famous Golden Sahara Custom Car and Indy 500 driver Salt Walther in his T Bucket Roadster. Known for their famous Chickie in a Quickie plate (deep fried chicken, fries, coleslaw and a hot roll for $1.00), this busy local hangout also served the Chubby Boy double decker hamburger,and the Jumbo Shrimp Plate. Angelo’s eventually became Grannies 4200 Place Restaurant and then just 4200 Place.

The area where Main Street meets Springboro Pike/State Route 741 looked vastly different 60 years ago.

 Across from WDTN Channel 2, this large building had businesses that changed hands multiple times through the years. This building at 4650 North Springboro Pike, now occupied by AAA and Kastle Electric, was once a popular Goldmans, Bargain Barn and then Moraine K-Mart (often referred to as the “Moraine Mall). This was an important place for Moraine residents to shop before malls and big box stores came into existence. On the west end of the building was the Donuts Inc. Shop, home of 52 varieties of donuts and the world’s greatest coffee. Local bluegrass and country jam sessions were held in the parking lot every Saturday night. Also, in the parking lot was Wishy-Washy Car Wash.

Next door at 4725 Springboro Pike, where Kyle’s Auto Mall now exists, former businesses that occupied that location were Goofy Golf, a Noble Romans Pizza restaurant, an Arnold Palmer Putt-Putt, a Burger Chef, and a pawn shop. Next door where the Waffle House is now, there was once a gas station, auto repair garage and long ago a Frost Top Root Beer stand.

Senior citizens will nostalgically remember that across the street at the western corner of Main Street and Springboro Pike in the 1950’s & 1960’s was the Pottery Barn, consisting of two old circa 1930 interurban railroad/trolley cars. The business sold pottery, colored glass globes, bird fountain stands, cement statues and lawn ornaments. 

Many businesses have come and gone through the years, but their memories remain.

On display at the Waco Air Museum in Troy, Ohio is a 1934 Waco UMF-3 biplane formerly flown by Moraine’s Harold Johnson, the “Flying Mayor of Moraine”. Harold was well known in the aviation field as he was a past-President of the National Aviation Hall of Fame, past FBO of Moraine Airpark and past Mayor of Moraine from 1976 to 1993. Johnson passed away at age 85 in 2011.

There were only 18 of this specific model of Waco biplane built in 1934-35 and each were sold for $6,530. In 1960, Johnson and Glen Thomas purchased the plane and completely restored it to its former glory. Harold used the Waco for the next 65 years flying air shows across the Midwest. The red Waco was a permanent fixture at Moraine Airpark and at Moraine Airshows. The Waco’s powerful 210 horsepower engine enabled Johnson to perform rolls, loops, stall turns (hammerheads), tailslides and other aerobatic maneuvers.

Johnson offered public biplane rides which your author and my wife took advantage of years ago. The ride was a surprise birthday gift for her and boy did Harold make it memorable. We were seated in the open-air cockpit in front of Harold’s cockpit and strapped in by one thin seatbelt across our laps. Since Harold knew me, he gave us more than an ordinary ride by doing a couple loops, a death spiral over downtown Dayton and barnstorming just above tree top level – memories we will never forget, especially my wife who had eaten a big breakfast before this stomach-churning flight.

This Waco plane was part of two World Records. Johnson set the record for the longest continuous airshow flights as he flew at the Kings Island Amusement Park seven nights a week for seven straight years – that’s 2,557 shows.

Johnson’s Waco plane also has the most flight time than any other Waco in existence with over 14,000 hours in the air. This 1934 Waco is currently on loan to the museum by the family of Harold Johnson.

William Werthner was a high school teacher in Dayton from 1875 to 1925 and taught several subjects including botany.  Werthner would bring his students here to the Pinnacle cliffs in Moraine where there was an abundance of trees, plants, wildflowers, and several unique, tall, other-worldly spiral shapes made from hard clay.  The site was a popular picnic location back in the late 1800’s with a beautiful view looking south of a small pond, the Miami River and green pastures.

In his 1886-1887 high school botany class were two Dayton students that would go on to international fame – poet Paul Lawrence Dunbar and airplane co-inventor and aviator Orville Wright. In their sketchbooks from several trips to the Pinnacles, they drew sketches of tree branches with buds (red maple, buckeye, beech, willow, and ash), tree seeds (sycamore and hickory) and flowers (lilac, tulip, and red clover). Each drawing was very detailed and in addition included a cross-section sketch. In the sketchbook the student also had to add a description, size, form, and anything peculiar about it.  A few sketches are shown below.

In May 1887, a notation in Orville’s sketchbook stated that the class went to a nearby spring (a natural water spring) at the Pinnacles to drink and eat lunch. On the way the first flower that they found was the golden ragwort. 

The information above is gleaned from a small historical sketch booklet titled “Pinnacles”, written by local author Timothy Gaffney in cooperation with Casey Huegel, Museum Technician at the National Park Service.

On September 23, 2023, members of the Wright Seaplane Base Inc. dedicated a ¼ scale model of the 1913 Wright Model G Aeroboat Sculpture.  The sculpture sits atop a twenty-foot pole next to the bicycle path along Main Street in Moraine. 

     The Wright Seaplane Base, Inc., is a group of people dedicated to keeping the memory of the Wright Brothers alive, specifically Orville Wright’s involvement from 1912 to 1914 in the development and testing of the aeroboat or seaplane.

    The 1913 Aeroboat was designed by Wright Company chief engineer Grover Loening under the supervision of Orville Wright. The aeroboats were continuously tested and improved during the two-year period as over 100 test flights were made along the Miami River in Moraine and West Carrollton. Depending on prevailing winds, Orville Wright could choose to take off or land north-south or east-west thanks to the 90-degree bend in the river. The original Model G had a 38-foot span, 28 feet length, and weighed between 1,200 and 1,300 pounds.  With its 18-foot boat-like hull, it was the first product of the Wright Company to have an enclosed cockpit. The aircraft flew up to 60 miles per hour.

     The dedication was hosted by Harold Robinson, President of WSBI and Dave Miller, President Elect of WSBI. On behalf of the City of Moraine, Moraine Mayor Teri Murphy accepted the gift of the aeroboat sculpture from WSBI acknowledging the rich Wright Brothers history in the City of Moraine.

     Special awards were presented to the following for their exemplary work in the design, building, craftsmanship, installation and donation of time and labor to complete the 1913 replica sculpture:

Gary Warlaumont of Bront Machining and the Warlaumont Family – design/build

Bob Palo – replica float sculpturer

Bob Sachs – logistics

Andrew Casey Electric – sculpture installation

Electro Polish Company – protective electrocoating

     In addition, special thanks were extended to City of Moraine employees Rocky Bangert (Building Maintenance), Chris Dunn (Street Department) and Bobby Engle (Building Maintenance) for their work in pouring the concrete base, installing the pole, and coordinating the aeroboat placement atop the pole.

     WSBI President Robinson shared WSBI’s history and goals and thanked several WSBI members through the years for their contributions including the late Don Ferguson, a founding member, who had the initial vision for the aeroboat sculpture back in 1914.

     Recently added in September 2024 to the site are signs telling the history of the Wright Model G Aeroboat, the Wright Brothers seaplane base, benches, and a rock with a plaque thanking all who made the historical mini-park possible.

     The 1913 Wright Model G Aeroboat Sculpture Dedication Ceremony can be seen on MVCC Miami Valley Communications Council Government Access Channel 6 or on the City of Moraine website.

Hiking Team: Dave Miller, Rosie Miller, Matt Miller, Holly Miller, Justin Eller, Jacque Kelly, Nick Kelly, Elizabeth Kelly, John Kelly

Date: September 18, 2024

The City of Moraine held a ribbon cutting ceremony on Saturday, September 21^st to open the new 1.1-mile Wright Brothers Pinnacles Historical Hiking Trail. The Pinnacles is a ridge and cliff overlooking the Miami River and is the site in the late 1890’s where the Wright Brothers would watch the flight of large birds on the cliff updrafts. Wilbur Wright obtained his wing warping or roll theory for his future heavier than air airplane wings by watching the birds here. Many photos taken by the Wright Brothers at the Pinnacles are also reproduced on signs. Sketches of trees and wildflowers drawn by Orville Wright and poet Paul Lawrence Dunbar while hiking the Pinnacles with their high school botany class adorn another sign. Other historical signs from the 1890’s are installed along the trail.

The hiking trail has two trailhead entrances. The South Trailhead is off of the Main Street Bike Trail about .4 miles from Wax Park. The North Trailhead is off of the Pinnacle Road Bike Trail, .4 miles from Deer Meadow Park. “People can enjoy the outdoor recreation benefits of this new hiking trail, stated Miller. “and be educated about the rich Wright Brothers history that took place here”.

Back in 2015, Dave Miller’s son Sgt. Matt Miller identified one of the photos taken by the Wright Brothers of a bridge on the trail. Further research matched other photos taken by the Wright Brothers to the Pinnacles cliff area. Realizing the important Wright history here, the City Manager granted Dave permission to begin developing the historical hiking trail.

Work on the development of the trail began in 2017 and was recently completed. The trail had to be widened considerably, about a dozen foot bridges were built, plus lots of clearing out of weeds, bush and other growth that impeded the path took place.

Along with Dave Miller, individuals, clubs, organizations, and volunteers who contributed in some way to either the maintenance and development of the trail, creating or installing the signage, doing the historical research, or providing the funding were recognized at the ribbon cutting ceremony.

The entire Miller family and another ten people hiked the trail with Elizabeth and a few others doing a nature scavenger hunt along the way. Several of the historical signs are shown below.

reasure Island Supper Club is one of Dayton’s favorite restaurants. Located on Chief Woods Lane in Moraine, it opened in 1961. However, the actual building was built in the 1940’s and prior to Treasure Island, it was a popular local restaurant called Husti’s Bar & Grill.

Husti’s Grill was the site of a sensational robbery way back in 1954 that made the Dayton Daily News headlines for quite some time.  Husti’s building is only a short block from Silas Tavern, where eight years earlier the tavern bar manager was robbed of $10,000 at gunpoint by famous gangster Bugs Moran. If you recall, we had a previous Moraine Historical Minute Show about Bugs and that robbery.  Bugs is famous because seven of his Chicago North Side Gang were rubbed out back in 1929 by infamous Al Capone in what is called “The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre”.

Back to Husti’s. Husti’s Grill had many patrons from the Frigidaire plant located next door. On September 17, 1954, two armed bandits escaped with $35,000, big money in those days, around midnight after holding six persons at gunpoint and looting the cash-laden safe.

The two robbers entered, took a seat, and ordered drinks. Back in his office, owner of the grill Michael Touhy opened the safe five minutes later.  Touhy had a large amount of money on hand to cash Frigidaire workers’ paychecks plus two days of receipts.

The bandits then made their move.  They pulled guns and pointed them at the two bartenders. The older bandit went to cover the front entrance door. The younger bandit held a gun in each hand and ordered the bartenders and a patron to lay on the floor behind the bar.  A young attractive waitress was forced, with a gun at her back, to open three cash registers while an older waitress was told to go to the safe and scoop out the bulk of the money.

As they left the building, the older crook pistol whipped a Frigidaire employee entering the front door. The bandits’ red convertible escaped the numerous roadblocks set up in the area and in several adjoining counties.

After diligent police work, a month later the FBI arrested Charles Ison, 24, in Paducah, Kentucky.  Eventually, police arrested Ben Lett, 66, considered the criminal mastermind who fingered the robbery. Lett was sentenced in 1958 to 10 to 25 years in prison. 

Seven years after the heist, the building was sold and converted to Treasure Island Supper Club. 

That was a nostalgic look back at the Great Husti’s Bar & Grill Robbery. 

On May 3rd, 2024, will mark the 111^th anniversary of the first public demonstration of the Wright Brothers Model C-H Hydro-aeroplane (or seaplane) along the Miami River in Moraine.  The seaplane flown in 1913 by Orville Wright and Wright Airplane Company Mechanic William Jacobs, was one of over 100 test flights made along the bend of the river between Moraine and West Carrollton. The Dayton Daily News reported that “Orville made the test flight with the grace and precision that marked the flight of birds, the famous aerialist skimmed over the surface of the water rising majestically to dizzying heights at will”.

The plane was towed from Dayton to Miami Shores where it was assembled, taxied out on the river and would take off north-south or east-west depending on the prevailing wind.

The C-H Hydro-aeroplane was a standard Wright Model C plane that had been fitted with the twin four step floats under the landing skids.

The riverbank area in Miami Shores near the southeast end of the Moraine Airpark runway property is the location of the Wright Seaplane Base, one of the world’s first seaplane bases. The local Wright Seaplane Base Inc. club, whose mission is to preserve the nearly forgotten history of the Wright hydro-aeroplanes through education and exhibits, will have a photo exhibit of Wright seaplanes flying along the Miami River in Moraine.  The display will be at the Payne Recreation Center April 1-6, at the Gerhardt Civic Center from April 8-13 and at the Moraine Airpark from April 15-21. For more historical information visit the Wright Seaplane Base Inc website at www.wrightseaplanebase.org

Pathe Sound News filmed a race challenge between an interurban trolley and a biplane in Moraine in 1930.  The film was shown all across the country at movie theaters.  For you younger readers, since there were no televisions in 1930, major news events were filmed and shown at movie theaters prior to the feature film.

The race began at Moraine Flying Field which was located just east of the Springboro Pike/Northlawn Blvd. intersection and just north of today’s Fuyao Glass America.  The race finish line was near where the current day Frisch’s Restaurant is located, at the corner of South Dixie Drive and State Route 741.

The trolley was a Cincinnati and Lake Erie (C&LE line) whose maintenance building was located just west of today’s Springboro Pike and Main Street intersection (see photo).  The C&LE was a short lived electric high speed interurban streetcar/trolley railway that operated from 1930 to 1939 in Depression era Ohio.  C&LE ran twenty high speed “Red Devil” interurban passenger cars between Cincinnati, Dayton, Columbus & Toledo.  Red Devils were power efficient, lighter (among the first to be constructed with aluminum), passenger comfortable (with leather seats, toilet, luggage compartment) seating up to 44 people.

In the photo notice that the Moraine Field hangar still has the painted words “Dayton Municipal Airport” on it.  That is because Moraine Field was Dayton’s first municipal airport from 1926 to 1928.

The publicity stunt race was arranged by C&LE.  The trolley had an edge as it took off immediately and headed south. Meanwhile, the biplane had to taxi and then get airborne.  The plane almost caught up before the finish line, but the interurban car ran at 97 mph and beat the airplane. Maybe not a fair race, but an historical one that was shown all around the United States.

That wraps up our quick look at the Great 1930 Moraine Trolley vs. Airplane Race.