Charles Tharp

Dayton Charles Tharp

Dayton's history has been shaped and reshaped by its location on the banks of the Ohio River. First settled in 1848, the city grew and prospered, providing raw materials and labor for the boatbuilders across the river in Cincinnati. The fine white-sand beaches became a tourist mecca, drawing the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) reunion in 1898. Floods, pollution, and a series of locks for river navigation destroyed the beaches, but Dayton continued to thrive. The Great Flood of 1937 devastated nearly half of the town, and time rendered many of its businesses obsolete. Bowed but unbeaten, Dayton struggled to recover. In 1982, a flood wall was built to protect the town, and today the city's prime location along the Ohio River is a draw for redevelopment.