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Aug 20, 2023

1898 in Dayton: What life was like when the Dayton Daily News began publishing

The Dayton Daily News started publishing 125 years ago on Aug. 22, 1898. What was life like back then? We took a look at our newspapers from that time. The Dayton Daily News celebrates 125 years The

The Dayton Daily News started publishing 125 years ago on Aug. 22, 1898.

What was life like back then? We took a look at our newspapers from that time.

The Dayton Daily News celebrates 125 years

The newspaper cost 1 cent

For that you got 8 pages packed with news. There were five headlines at the top of page 1 on many days.

Home prices

A seven-room frame house with a slate roof could be purchased for $2,250. That included an oak mantel and mirror, basement, iron fences and cement sidewalks.

Grocery shopping

An advertisement for The National Food Co. listed all the items you could get for the total of one dollar. And with that one dollar purchase, you also received your choice of a half-gallon, nickle-plated coffee pot or a four quart, nickle-plated tea pot.

Rike’s and Elder & Johnston

Rike’s department store was already a major player in the clothing goods by 1898. Elder & Johnston (the company that would eventually become Elder-Beerman) also placed advertisements in the paper.

Train schedules

Railroad schedules were advertised in the newspaper. Listings were given for Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton Railway; Erie Railway; The Cincinnati Northern Railroad; Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis (Big 4) Railway; The Dayton & Western Traction Co. and more.

Home remedies

Medical cures were advertised throughout every newspaper, claiming to fix everything including headaches, nerve problems, sinus issues, depression, rheumatism, weak stomach, dizziness, disordered liver, and more.

Fashion

Current fashions included double skirts, gowns made of blue or grey taffeta, apple-green corsages, velvet hats and lace scarfs. Women carrying canes was also on it’s way in.

Sporting events

Fairview Park was the site of a four-day marksmanship tournament, billed as “The real sporting event of the season.”

Streetlights

Cities paid for streetlight electricity by the lamp.

Tax rate

In 1898 residents of Dayton were paying a total tax rate of 24.6 mills. Taxes were used for roads, bridges, the children’s home, a soldier’s fund and more. For comparison, the 2023 total tax rate in Dayton is listed on the Montgomery County website at 116.73 mills, with a large portion of that going towards schools.

Wishlists for gifts

The Dec. 24, 1898 newspaper included a list of children’s letters to Santa Claus. Among the items wished for by the children that Christmas were checkerboards, candy, story books, bicycles, doll babies and more.

About the Author

Greg Lynch has been a photographer, digital specialist and digital content producer at Cox First Media for more than 30 years.