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Book Nook: Lost Dayton, Ohio by Andrew Walsh

The city of Dayton has changed a lot over time. In his book "Lost Dayton, Ohio" Andrew Walsh describes many of the forces that have impacted neighborhoods and buildings in the Gem City. Some of the things that have caused the greatest changes to the layout of Dayton and the structures in the city have been urban renewal, the construction of highways, and the massive destruction that was caused by the Great Dayton Flood of 1913.

The book is filled with wonderful photos of forgotten neighborhoods and lost buildings. In this interview we discussed how entire swaths of the city like the old Haymarket district were razed and removed so thoroughly by the wrecking ball that no trace of it remains today.

It could have been worse. Walsh describes how urban planners of the day were intent on razing many more houses in the adjacent neighborhoods of St. Anne's Hill and the Oregon District. Fortunately those additional plans were never executed.

We also discussed some of the iconic structures in Dayton; Steele High School (now gone) and the Arcade (still there). The former industrial behemoths of NCR and Delco also left their marks on the city. All the NCR buildings from company founder John Patterson's time are gone. A number of the Delco buildings remain and are now being used for different purposes. If you are interested in the history of the region "Lost Dayton, Ohio" is a must read book.

The Book Nook on WYSO is presented by the Greene County Public Library with additional support from Washington-Centerville Public Library,  Clark County Public LibraryDayton Metro LibraryWright Memorial Public Library, and Microsun Lamps.

Vick Mickunas introduced the Book Nook author interview program for WYSO in 1994. Over the years he has produced more than 1500 interviews with writers, musicians, poets, politicians, and celebrities. Listen to the Book Nook with Vick Mickunas for intimate conversations about books with the writers who create them. Vick Mickunas reviews books for the Dayton Daily News and the Springfield News Sun.