Dayton Triangles vs. Columbus Panhandles, Triangle Park

   The first football game between two professional (paid athletes) football teams was played on October 3, 1920.  The game featured the Dayton Triangles versus the Columbus Panhandles.  The Triangles won 14 to 0.  The game was played in Dayton's Triangle Park, located directly across the street from the employee parking lot at Boonshoft.

    One interesting thing to note is that Triangle Park was created by Edward Deeds and Charles Kettering.  In 1916, they purchased the land from the estate of Edward Best, and wanted to create a recreational area for the employees of their three Dayton factories, DELCO, DELCO-Light, and Dayton Metal Products Company. 

     Another interesting thing that happened at Triangle Park in 1916 was a gathering of servicemen who had just volunteered for military duty to prepare for the USA's entry into World War I.  Unfortunately today Triangle Park has a reputation for drug deals and illegal sexual activity and has lost its luster as a once prominent community gathering place.

Perlman Visits Dayton

            At the beginning of the year, in 1974, Itzhak Perlman performed on stage with the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra. The concert took place on January 16^th at the Memorial Hall in downtown Dayton.[1] This concert was the 5^th in the 41^st season of the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra. They played, alongside Itzhak Perlman, Mendelssohn’s Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in E Minor, Opus 64, as well as Sarasate’s Carmen Fantasy, Opus 25. It was the first time that this Sarasate piece had been performed in Dayton, professionally.[2]

            Perlman was born in 1945 in Israel. At the age of 4, he developed Polio, which paralyzed his legs. Despite this hindrance, he proceeded to study violin and even though many doubted his dreams, he more than succeeded. For decades Perlman has performed all over the globe. He has received 15 Grammys and is renowned for his phenomenal musical ability.[3]

 

(http://www.minnpost.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/article_detail/images/articles/itzhak-perlman_main.jpg)

            The Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra was first started in 1933. Prior to the opening of the Schuster Center, many concerts were held in the Memorial Hall in downtown Dayton. This is where Perlman originally played, during his 1974 performance. He also played there in a subsequent performance in the 1980s.[4]

            In January of 1974, Itzhak Perlman, James B. Porter of the Journal Herald wrote an article after interviewing Perlman. Porter discusses Perlman’s performance on the 16^th with the Dayton Philharmonic. He states that Perlman is “one of the greatest violinists of our time” and that “Perlman was magnificent in his showcase of violin virtuosity. Brilliant playing indeed.”[5]

            He returned to Dayton a number of other times. So far, he has made a total of 5 appearances in Dayton with the Philharmonic Orchestra. The most recent time was in 2006. This time he played Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 5.[6] This was his first performance held in the Schuster Center, which was not completed until 2003.[7]

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[1] Journal Herald Clipping, James B. Porter. January 17^th, 1974, MS-314, box 25, file 9, Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, Special Collections and Archives, Wright State University.

[2]  Concert Program, January 16^th, 1974, MS-314, box 30, file 1, Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, Special Collection and Archives, Wright State University.

[3] “Itzhak Perlman,” Biography. November 10^th, 2014.  http://www.biography.com/people/itzhak-perlman-9437933#awards-and-youth-program.

[4] Carole Judge and Laura Januzzi, A New Beginning: The Dayton Philharmonic’s 70^th Anniversary Commemorative Book.  (Dayton: Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, 2003), 33.

[5] Journal Herald Clipping, James B. Porter. January 17^th, 1974, MS-314, box 25, file 9. Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, Special Collections and Archives, Wright State University.

[6] “Itzhak Perlman to Kick-off Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra’s 2006-2007 Special Events Thursday, October 12.” Dayton Performing Arts. November 10^th, 2014. https://daytonperformingarts.org/content.jsp?articleId=719.

[7] Carole Judge and Laura Januzzi, A New Beginning: The Dayton Philharmonic’s 70^th Anniversary Commemorative Book.  (Dayton: Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, 2003), 60.

Bogie and Bacall

A state park built by Pulitzer Prize winning author Louis Bromfield was the location for one of Hollywood’s most infamous (and beautiful) weddings.

Malabar Farms is located in Lucas, Ohio. It is a 580 acre parcel of farmland that has since been converted into a state park. Louis Bromfield bought the farm in 1939 and lived there until he bought the other farm in 1956. Through its many years, Malabar Farms has seen its fair share of life and love. Notorious for letting his doggies run free across his land, Louis Bromfield’s Malabar Farm was a favorite stop for sight-seers. My mom remembers going when she was young and seeing all the doggies just running around, greeting guest, and having a grand time.

Malabar Farm is famous for its maple sugaring festivals, heritage days, and wagon tours…but it is also famous for the wedding that it held on May 21, 1945. Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall were married and honeymooned on Louis Bromfield’s country estate. That event made Malabar Farms forever a local historical treasure.

From their wedding pictures, Malabar Farms looks like a picturesque background for their abounding love. Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall were married until his death in 1957. It is amazing to think that it all started on a farm in Ohio.

Rob & Ohio

Now for some current local history – if that is even a thing. Anyway, here in our very own heart-shaped state we have a skateboarding celebrity. Born in Kettering, Ohio, Rob Dyrdek is famous, gorgeous, and a fellow Ohioan.

When I was younger I knew exactly where Kettering was (even though I had never been down here before) because of Rob Dyrdek. I may have taken a trip down here when I was older to try and locate his parents’ house since I knew what it looked like having seen it on the show Rob & Big…so stalkerish…and came up empty handed. However, I did find his skate park that he built for the community. Since he knew what it was like to be a kid who just wanted to skate despite the numerous “No Skateboarding” signs, he created a legal and safe place for kids to skate in his old community .

Rob Dyrdek has been named one of “the most influential skateboarders of all-time” and has been successful in several areas during his career. He is sponsored by DC Shoes (he sports all DC brand clothing) and has a line named in his honor. He is also sponsored by Monster Energy and has a full back tattoo of their signature “M”. He is a walking billboard for his brands.

With shows, Rob & Big, Fantasy Factory, and Ridiculousness, Rob has become a television celebrity as well as sports celebrity. He uses his fame to support his sport, his brands, his family’s brands, and his fellow athletes. The Rob Dyrdek Foundation was created by Rob to fund and create local skate parks all over the nation to ensure the future of skateboarding.

Though famous, he always seems to remember his Ohio roots. His humble beginnings started here and he continues to give back in remembrance them.

In Memory of All

The very first monument to record all the names of victims on one monument is the Titanic Memorial in Belfast, Ireland.  All 1, 512 victims are listed in alphabetical order along a wall in the Memorial Garden. The Memorial Garden surrounds a previous statue built in 1920  (delayed by the outbreak of World War I) to honor the Irish men who perished in the sinking. At the time, it was thought that only 22 people from Northern Ireland had perished in the tragedy, however later it was learned that there were actually 28. The remaining six people are not listed on the original statue.

Northern Ireland was Titanic’s true home. She was built in Belfast by the Harland and Wolff shipyard and was envisioned by naval architect, Thomas Andrews. Andrews is the very first name listed on the statue. Belfast has always laid their claim to the “Unsinkable Ship” and shows their extreme devotion to her – even a century later. On April 15, 2012, the centennial anniversary of her sinking, the Memorial Garden to the RMS Titanic opened to the public in Belfast, Ireland.

Descendants of passengers skim the names listed on the bronze plaques in search of their relatives. Small children are shown the name of a relative as their tiny fingers trace the engraved name. The memorial brings history home. It makes people confront the tragedy that shook the world and keeps it forever at the forefront of their minds. The Memorial Garden is a mixture of the old and the new (with both types of monuments being showcased in the same area). It shows how Northern Ireland once grieved for their own and have now allowed their grief to envelope all the victims.

The Memorial Garden shows how grief of a community can change over time. Remembrance was expressed differently in the 1920 statue and the 2012 statue. Though different forms, they still embody the same grief.   

Where Cool Went to School

I could go on and on about Fairmount, Indiana. It is one of the “coolest” places I have ever been. And man, have I been there over…and over…and over again. Just ask my mom. I drag her along every year to the James Dean Festival there.

This town is the quintessential small town. No large commercial supermarkets, maybe two gas stations, and a few churches. That’s it for big business within the limits of Fairmount. So what draws hundreds of thousands of people here each year? The Rebel Without a Cause, that’s who!

James Dean grew up on his aunt and uncle’s farm there, he graduated from high school there, he returned there for family visits after his stardom had begun, his funeral was held there, and he is buried there. All of those facts put Fairmount on the map and makes it a booming town once a year. Ever since I was a senior in high school I have gone to the James Dean Festival almost every year. Though not a single thing changes, I go to connect with the idol I admire so much. I walk the same roads he walked, I pose by the same landmarks he was photographed by on his last trip to Fairmount, I drive by his boyhood home and see that a lot of the landscape looks the same as when Jimmy lived there, and I topple over the guard fences to get close to his school. I guess the Rebel brings out the rebel in me.

There may be nothing special about a town honoring someone famous who hails from there, but Fairmount is unique. I have never experienced a more intimate, connected place than Fairmount. Since Jimmy went to school there, grew up there, played there, actually lived there, the town of Fairmount has an unprecedented array of his personal artifacts. They display many pieces from his school days like drawings, homework, and art projects. They have artifacts from his time in Hollywood including wardrobe, awards, contracts, and correspondence. They have his motorcycle on display and the building where he worked on it is still in town. The church that held his funeral service is still standing and he buried down the road from his boyhood home. Almost every aspect of a life lived is represented here and I find it to be unequaled. Nowhere else can you get so close and feel as if James Dean is so attainable.

This small town’s local history is our history – and they sure do make it feel like it can be captured by all of us. 

The Love of My Young Life

My love of buildings started when I was just a child. The brick, the creaky staircases, the musty smells...they all intrigued me. My first (building) love was my elementary school.

Located in the village of Caledonia, Ohio at a dead end street once sat an impressive structure of what was then consider the epitome of modernity. One of the very first school buildings to have indoor plumbing coursing through its structure, Caledonia High School was an elite Ohio school.

The structure that I came to adore replaced an existing structure in 1910. Yes, two years before the Titanic sank my future school was wowing locals. The massive, but simple, building was in a rectangular shape and had intricate designs woven into the brick and mortar. The designs juxtaposed the building’s squat shape and made it seem sophisticated and graceful. And to me, it was all those things and more.

Caledonia High School was no longer a high school when I entered it in the third grade. By that time it had been converted into the second, or upper class, building of the elementary school. In the fifties a second building was built perpendicular to the older building. It was a one level building that housed our “new” gymnasium and held the Kindergarten through second grades.  It pales in comparison to the original building, but still was a great place for me to run rampant.

The older building was now the home of all the third, fourth, and fifth grades, the library, the cafeteria, the music and art rooms, and the principal’s office. If you’re wondering where sixth grade was (because when I went to school sixth grade was still elementary and not middle school yet) it was in the back in a modular-type building and was the ONLY place that was air conditioned in the whole school with the exception of the principal’s office. Those in charge always have the comfort of amenities.

Anyway, the old building was beyond beautiful. Upon entering the doors, visitors would be overcome by the large wooden staircase leading them to the second floor. On either side of the staircase were doorways that led down to the girls’ bathroom and art room (on the left) and the boys’ bathroom and music room (on the right). Up the stairs were the third grade class rooms, the cafeteria and kitchen, and the principal’s office. Going up even more wooden stairs that ran both sides of the massive entry way opening one would stumble upon the teacher’s lounge (which was a glorified walk-in closet of sorts) at the in between landing. Up one last flight of stairs was the third level. Here were the fourth and fifth grade classrooms, some computer rooms, and the library. Every room on this floor was unique. There were built in coat closets, uneven floors that created giant dips and waves, skinny corridors, and secret doors connecting rooms.

My elementary school building was unique and priceless. There was so much history there and I wish that I could have been more aware of it than I was. However, I was more aware than most of my classmates and I asked a lot of questions. One thing I found out was that our cafeteria was once the gymnasium when it was a high school and I was told that underneath the floor was a pool (not sure if that’s true. I imagine an It’s a Wonderful Life scenario). So if I peeled up the cafeteria linoleum that I was standing on I would have found a wooden gym floor and then under that the remnants of a pool.  Also in the cafeteria were large cartoon art pieces that depicted our Viking mascot battling wits with the other local mascots. These pieces were from the school’s earlier days and yet they were still being used as decoration. They were hilarious (to an eight year old) and I remember reading them over and over at lunchtime. I recognized how awesome my school was while I was still able to enjoy it –and for that I am eternally grateful.

Despite trying to dedicated my lunch money to save the school, my love was torn down in 2003 as River Valley Local Schools built new buildings all over Marion County. My elementary school was a part of a River Valley elementary school trio and all the schools were torn down. The middle school and high school were left vacant and still sit eerily on land that was deemed to be “cancer-causing.” Some say that is why River Valley built all new schools – bad publicity and all that jazz. Either way, I graduated from the sixth grade as the last class at Caledonia Elementary School. And to this day I swear they waited to tear it down until I had to leave it (unwillingly) anyway.

I couldn’t watch the demolition, although we were all invited. Even in the sixth grade I knew that I could not watch them tear down something I loved so dearly. I knew that I was never going to be the same again and maybe this was my first real heartbreak. I had no control and I couldn’t stop it (I definitely thought about chaining myself to something inside to stop the demolition). Had I been able to drive, I probably would have done it! The wrecking ball devils were kind enough to leave a pile of bricks on the side of the road for all who wished to have a souvenir. I will never forget the night my mom drove me to get a brick. It was pitch black and it covered the horror temporarily. As we approached, her headlights illuminated my worst dreams. Into view came a pile of bricks and rubble – and an empty lot.

I still drive back to see the empty place where my love once was. It is extremely strange and there is nothing to do or see, but I relive the past I cherished so much. I’ve trampled through the snow and mud looking for brick fragments and I’ve sat on the barren land and imagined the building surrounding me. It’s all very odd, but then again, all love is.

Caledonia Elementary School. Forever. 

Check this guy out! He knows a good backdrop when he sees it!