Source: 
History of City of Dayton and Montgomery County, Ohio
by Rev. A. W. Drury
- Vol. 1 -
1909

Chapter XVIII

PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS
pg. 821

PARKS - POST OFFICE - PORT OF ENTRY - DAYTON STATE HOSPITAL - ASSOCIATED CHARITIES - WIDOWS' HOME - FLOWER AND FRUIT MISSION - DOOR OF HOPE - CEMETERIES - WOODLAND CEMETERY - CALVARY CEMETERY - JEWISH CEMETERIES - SOLDIERS' MONUMENT.

PARKS

POST OFFICE

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POST OFFICE BUILDING

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PORT OF ENTRY

     July 1, 1904, the office of the Dayton Port of Entry was opened.  In 1908, Edward L. McConnaughey succeeded Oscar I. Robbins  as surveyor.  The latter had served as surveyor from the opening of the port.  the receipts of the local office for the year ending June 30, 1909, were one hundred thirty-six thousand, six hundred four dollars and seventy-eight cents.  The cost of maintaining the office was about three per cent of the total receipts.  Dayton ahs the advantage of having a first class bonded warehouse where goods may be held for later delivery.  Goods on which forty thousand dollars in duties are payable were stored in the warehouse in November, 1909.  Among the ports of the state of Ohio the Dayton port holds a place next to those of Cleveland and Cincinnati.

DAYTON STATE HOSPITAL

     In 1851, the asylum at Columbus was the only one in the state and was known as the Ohio Lunatic Asylum.  Its capacity was three hundred patients.  The superintendent of the asylum at that time, Prof S. M. Smith, estimated the insane in the state that year at two thousand.

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     As a result of the recommendations of Dr. Smith and others, the following winter the legislature passed an act dated Apr. 30, 1852, entitled: "An act to provide for the erection of two additional lunatic asylums."  Prof. H. A. Ackley, E. B. Fee, D. B. Woods, Charles Cist and Edwin Smith, composed the board appointed under the act.  The legislature made an appropriation of one hundred and forty thousand dollars, for the purpose of building the two asylums.
     On the 7th of July, 1852, the board met in Cincinnati and on the 8th at Dayton, and agreed not to locate either of the two asylums at any point, unless fifty acres of land were donated for the purpose.  On the 9th of July, it was voted to locate one at Newburgh, now a part of Cleveland and the next day Dayton was selected as the other site.  September 1st, a site was selected at the foot of Wayne avenue and September 6th the county commissioners appropriated five hundred dollars toward paying for the land, the balance of the purchase money being donated by the citizens.
     The original contract was let for sixty-seven thousand, three ................................................ MORE TO COME

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ROBERT BOULEVARD, DAYTON

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ASSOCIATED CHARITIES

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WIDOWS' HOME

     When the Woman's Christian Association was organized in 1870, it was incorporated under the name "The Woman's Christian Association of Dayton, Ohio, for the support of widows and destitute women" in order that it might receive the property of the old Dayton Female Orphan Asylum on Magnolia street, which by an act of the legislature was transferable to any institution providing for the care of destitute women.  This transfer was made in 1872, and after repairs, the house was open for the reception of inmates, Feb. 8, 1875.  Mrs. A. L. Connelly was the first matron of the home.  For the past twenty years the matron has been Miss H. S. Nease.
     The hill on which the Magnolia street home was located has borne the name of "Charity Hill."  The firt city hospital was located here and the city in-

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firmary had a location adjacent.  On this hill at the present time is located the magnificent Miami Valley Hospital.
     The Widows' Home, now located on Findlay street, is under the superintendence of a committee appointed by the board of managers of the Woman's Christian Association.  A two-thirds vote of the committee is required for admittance to the home.
     Any widow or destitute woman of good moral character over sixty years of age who has resided in Dayton five years can become a permanent inmate by the payment of one hundred dollars to the endowment fund, furnishing her own room and clothing, and paying fifty dollars for funeral expenses.
     The home receives additional support through gifts of money and donations from the various churches and an annual harvest home donation from the people of Dayton.
     The twenty-four old ladies residing in the home are faithfully cared for through the services of the matron, a physician and nurse.

ST. JOSEPH ORPHANAGE

     The organization of St. Joseph Orphanage dates back to the time of the cholera plague in 1849, when many children, belonging to the poorer population were orphaned.  In September of that year, a number of Catholic gentlemen founded the home on a small scale with the intention that it should meet only temporary conditions.  In 1891, it was placed under the direction of the Sisters of the Precious Blood.  In 1899, the increasing number of children necessitated the addition of an east wing and a chapel to their home, located on the east side of St. Paul avenue, between Xenia avenue and Wyoming street.  In 1904 the establishment was enlarged to the present large and commodious structure.  In 1908, a hospital for the treatment of contagious diseases among the children was erected.  There are ninety-two boys and girls in the home.  The moral, religious and industrial training of the children is carefully managed, with Sister M. Electra as the superior.  The society which fosters the home has a membership of eight hundred.  Frank J. Hegman is the president.  Rev. Peter Schirack is the chaplain.

FLOWER AND FRUIT MISSION

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     For the sake of poor, tired and sick mothers, and children, who need the pure air of the country, as well as the good substantial care of such a home with nourishing food, a fresh air branch of the mission was added three years ago.  A farm near the village of Bellbrook, was recently purchased and a new dormitory with the capacity of thirty beds, was built at a cost of thirty-three hundred dollars.
     The number of churches that cooperate with the officers and directors of the mission, is fourteen.  The officers are: Honorary President, Miss Emily Stewart; President, Mrs. G. Harries Gorman; First Vice-President, Mrs. Harry G. Carnell; Second Vice-President, Mrs. Allen E. Thomas; Third Vice-President, Miss Minnie B. Conover; Secretary and Treasurer, Miss Florence D. Evans.

 DOOR OF HOPE

CEMETERIES

     WOODLAND CEMETERY.  The first "graveyard" of Dayton was located at the northeast corner of Main and Third streets.  Mr. D. C. Cooper, the proprietor of the town, gave the lots one hundred and thirty-three and one hundred and

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thirty-four on his plat to the Presbyterian church, and as it was the custom in that day to connect the graveyard with the church, the ground was also used for burial purposes.  It was soon manifest that these lots would be encroached on by the town, and, in 1805, Mr. Cooper donated to the Presbyterian and Methodist churches and to the town, as a burying place for strangers, four acres of ground on the south side of Fifty street, between Ludlow and Perry streets, each to have equal parts.
     The location was thought to be so remote from the town that it would never be encroached upon.  In less than thirty years it was found to be unsuitable for the purpose and at length, cemeteries having been established elsewhere, interments were forbidden in it by city ordinance.
     Later the reversionary interest of the Cooper heirs having been purchased the ground was laid out in building lots and sold, bringing a handsome sum to the churches and to the city.  The remains of the dead were carefully disinterred and reburied in Woodland cemetery.
     In 1840, a movement was made to establish a rural cemetery, where every possible safeguard should be thrown about the resting place of the dead.  Mr. John W. Van Cleve made the suggestion and was most active in promoting the object.  To him more than any other the city is indebted for the beautiful cemetery and for the property which has attended the enterprise from the beginning.  He and Samuel Forrer, both capable engineers, lent their skill to the laying out of the grounds.  At his death in 1858 the trustees expressed their sense of obligation to him in a memorial recorded in the minutes of the association.
     Articles of association were drawn up by Mr. Van Cleve and fifty-two subscribers obtained.  Each subscriber agreed to pay into the treasury one hundred dollars to be repaid to him without interest either in burial lots or in money, when the affairs of the association justified.  In a short time the claims of the subscribers were liquidated, the majority of them taking lots in payment.
     MORE TO COME

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LAKE IN WOODLAND CEMETERY

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     CALVARY CEMETERY.  The first burying ground of the Catholics of Dayton, bore the name of St. Henry's cemetery.  In September, 1844, one-half of out-lot No. 27, was purchased by Archbishop Purcell of Thomas Morrison, for three hundred and five dollars.  Mar. 2, 1853, the south of the same lot was purchased of E. W. Davies, for eight hundred dollars.  These two pieces of ground constituted St. Henry's cemetery.  This was the only burying place for Catholics for many years, and by 1872, had became so crowded as to lead to the establishment of Calvary cemetery.
     On the 9th of July, 1872, Calvary Cemetery Association was organized by the election of the following board of trustees:   Revs. J. F. Hahne, William M. Helfrich, N. Ohmer, John Stephans and Henery Hilgefort for two years; and Robert Chambers, Severin Wiegert, Theodore Barlow and Henry Schlaman, for one year; Secretary Jacob Stephans.
     Ninety acres of ground were purchased and twenty-seven and one-half acres were added later, making one hundred and seventeen and one half acres located ........ MORE TO COME

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     JEWISH CEMETERIES.  The congregation B'nai Yeshurun on Jefferson street acquired in 1848 for cemetery purposes a small lot of ground on South Brown acquired in 1848 for cemetery purposes a small plot of ground on South Brown street, near where the National Cash Register Company now is.  About 1890 this cemetery was nearly filled, and was being surrounded by dwellings.  The congregation then purchased seven acres on the hill south of the city.  Under the direction of Mr. Adam Lessner, the grounds were beautifully laid out.  The cemetery is called the Riverview cemetery.
     The Wayne avenue congregation (House of Abraham) purchased a small strip adjoining the Riverview cemetery, about 1903.
     The cemetery of the Wyoming street congregation (House of Jacob), is about four miles north of the city on the Troy Pike.

SOLDIERS' MONUMENT

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