Gypsies in Dayton

Dayton was once the home to the largest group of gypsies in the nation. The Stanleys were a large family tribe of gypsies from England. They moved to the United States in 1856 after losing freedoms in England. They came to Dayton and decided to make it their winter home while they traveled the country during the spring and summer. Their leader was known as King Owen Stanley and his wife was Queen Harriet Stanley, found the Miami Valley very beautiful. While she died only a year after coming to America, King Owen continued to lead the gypsies in America unti

Burial chamber of Levi and Matilda in Woodland Cemetery

l he died in 1860.  When King Owen died, his son Levi Stanley took leadership of the group. Levi was married to Matilda who died in 1878. For his wife’s funeral, gypsies from all over the nation came to pay their respects. Additionally, many Daytonians came to see the gathering. All told, there were more than 1,000 vehicles parked around the cemetery. She was laid to rest in Woodland Cemetery, where her husband her family members before her had been buried. Levi led the gypsies until 1909 when he too died and was buried in Woodland Cemetery.  There are around 50 gypsies buried in Woodland, including three gypsy kings and two gypsy queens.

When the gypsies came to America they began to purchase land in Dayton as a place to settle, something that had not been done before.  They bought property in northeast Dayton and began purchasing horses for trading proposes. This is where they made their wealth. They additionally, sold fortunes and other small items during their travels. After King Levi’s death the gypsies began to fade, leaving only their legacy in Dayton. Today, there is still a road in Dayton named after the prominent gypsy family.

Burba, Howard. “When Dayton was the home of the Gypsies”, Dayton Daily News, May 10, 1931.

“The Gypsy Band”, The Evening Review, East Liver Pool, Ohio, April 11, 1902