Syxpack
7 posts
Oct 06, 2012
6:01 PM
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Does anyone remember the DP&L Employee's Park and how did we get to it. What I recall is that you could only get there by going down Spinning Road (long before they made Woodman Drive run between Linden Avenue and Burkhardt/Kemp Road.) I don't know exactly where we turned off of Spinning Road, but we went down a two-lane Road and through a small tunnel to reach the park. This was in the mid 1940's. My dad worked for DP&L and we lived down off of Xenia Avenue on Church Street. We kids would also catch a bus on Lorain Avenue and go as far as Smithville Road and Linden Avenue which was the old Rte.35. We would then walk east on Linden Avenue as far as the railroad tracks that are now just west of Easttown Shopping Center. We could walk the tracks for a shortcut to the park. I would also like to know when they put Woodman Drive through and the new Rte 35 in. I can't recall when that happened. They got rid of the park and it now has corporate offices for DP&L there (I think?) We always had so much fun at the park. We kids would spend the afternoon there swimming and when Dad got off work, he and mom would come with a picnic supper and then we would stay and watch the movie. It was a great park with picnic shelters, a great swimming pool and they even had a movie night where you could sit in your car and watch a movie. They didn't have individual speakers, but we could hear the movie just fine. After I married and had kids of my own, I enjoyed taking them there. In fact they learned to swim there. We all missed it so much when they closed it down.
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tlturbo
411 posts
Oct 09, 2012
5:37 AM
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Was this the big park with the lake that was across Dorothy Lane from Rikes Kettering? If not, who owned that place?
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87 Buick GN
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tlturbo
412 posts
Oct 09, 2012
9:36 AM
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If you look at the historical aerial photos site for 1968, 35 ended West of Smithville near Linden. I remember going W on 35 and having to take a very hard 90 degree right turn where it ended and dumped you onto a little side street - probably Mabel St. Same thing getting on to go East - Pritz Ave? I remember getting on there one evening in my 66 vette and had a weird set of headlights behind me. I slowed down to see what it was and a NEW Style 68 vette went past. I decided I hated the new model (probably so I wouldn't want one) but gave in and bought a 69 435/427.
On the 1956 photos Woodman apts were NOT there and neither was 35. It appears that in 1956, 35 stopped just East of where Dayton Xenia crossed over and became Linden. So sometime between 1956 & 1968 they extended 35 from that point to about a mile West of Smithville. I was in Memphis from about 54 to 60.
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87 Buick GN
Last Edited by on Oct 09, 2012 9:38 AM
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Syxpack
9 posts
Oct 10, 2012
9:16 AM
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Where do I find those aerial views? I have looked but to no avail. You did jog my memory about the end of Rt. 35 and the sharp turn. My friend who has since passed away decided to take up her husband's offer to learn to drive his pickup after they had both had too many beers. She was driving on Rt. 35 and after you made the sharp turn, there was a stop sign and you made a left turn onto Richard Street. She never made the stop and ended up hitting a telephone pole which was right beside a bar there. She was thrown out of the pickup onto the sidewalk in a sitting position. That event sobered them both up immediately. Her husband went into the bar and called my late husband and together they got the truck off of the curb before someone called the police, thereby escaping a ticket or maybe even an arrest. I'm almost 83 and I remember my mom taking me at the age of 6 or 7 to ride on one of the trolley cars on Richard Street. I think Richard Street was the first in Dayton to have trolley cars. I grew up in that area during the "great depression". We lived on the corner of Hulbert St. and Hamilton Ave. right across from the Pennsylvania railroad tracks. I'm anxiously waiting to hear from you about the aerial views. Thanks, Marilyn
Last Edited by on Oct 10, 2012 11:49 AM
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tlturbo
413 posts
Oct 11, 2012
6:04 AM
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Hey Marilyn, try this link. Lots of fun to look at.
http://www.historicaerials.com
Type in a location (Dayton, Ohio) in the box at the top left. You need a good memory of the area because you will have to follow the pictures to go where you want. I usually start in downtown Dayton or Kettering then follow major streets. The roller ball or wheel on your mouse will zoom in and out of the view. You also can click years listed at the left for different years. Those years vary depending on whether they have photos for that year or not. Unfortunately the area in Beavercreek I grew up in is missing some years. Easy to work after you get used to it.
I think I remember someone didn't make that sharp right turn at the end of 35 and plowed into the house sitting there.
Back to your original post - I used to come in Kemp from Beavercreek all the time but I'm younger (grad 65) and do not remember Woodman NOT going all the waay from Airway to Linden. I remember the big box store on the SW corner of Kemp & Woodman and dated a couple girls in Woodman Apts at 35. Do you remember the small shopping center with Throckmortons in it - also a small local bar? Throckmortons was 'state of the art' with punch cards you took for merchandise - I thought that was so cool. Also Coach & Four apts were near Woodman and my friend rented an old white house across the street.
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87 Buick GN
Last Edited by on Oct 11, 2012 6:11 AM
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cilla46
118 posts
Oct 17, 2012
8:08 AM
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I hadn't thought about the DP&L Park for many years.I would guess that it was around 1957-1959 that I would go there and swim with my neighbors Judy and Barbra Leen.They had an aunt who worked at DP&L who took us several times each summer.
I don't have a real clear memory of the pool itself but I do remember going through a tunnel under a road in order to enter the park.
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luv my dayton
164 posts
Oct 27, 2012
8:31 AM
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Amazing what one can learn on this board. First I ever knew that DP&L had their own park with pool, movies etc. Companies did offer their people many family venues along with real jobs back then. Only place I went to was the NCR park which had many of the same activities. Also goes to show you how many people lived in the area and how many have left.
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Hankster65
84 posts
Dec 08, 2012
12:50 PM
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Tturbo, much thanks for posting the Historic Aerials link. It's a great find.
In the early '50's we lived directly south of the DP&L park. (If I were standing in our yard today I'd be run over by route 35 traffic.) We spent many a fine summer day at the park.
I compared the aerial photos from 1956 of the park with today's Google Earth photos and was amazed to see that the roads are still there. All the park buildings appear to be gone and the roads are only surrounded by grass and trees.
Last Edited by on Dec 08, 2012 12:51 PM
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maxed out
383 posts
Dec 08, 2012
1:54 PM
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Hankster...My dad worked for DPL, then I did after he retired. Spend many hours playing golf and swimming at the park. From your description it sounds like you may have lived at Woodman apartments.Right?
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Billd1952
51 posts
Mar 17, 2013
11:59 AM
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Actually, 35 used to end just east of The Eastown Shopping Center, onto Linden Ave. In the early 60's it was extended and exited on St. Nicholas, just south of Richard Street Which took you to Linden Ave. again, towards East Third Street. We were forced to move off Parrot Street in March, 1964,so Route 35 could be extended to where it exited at Germantown Street, to Broadway to West Third Street.
My friends and I used to sneak into DP&L park, from the Railroad Tracks on the west side of the park. We'd throw golf balls we found in the creek, onto the greens of the golf course.
Last Edited by Billd1952 on Mar 17, 2013 12:03 PM
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Ared60
32 posts
Jun 11, 2013
2:25 PM
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I may have missed it, but I haven't seen Frigidaire Park mentioned yet. Greg, the kid next door, his Dad worked at Frigidaire and he would take the two of us when they had their "festival" once a year. I was pretty small and don't remember too much about it other than a miniature golf course, picnic grounds and etc.
For all I know Frigidaire may have rented out DP&L park for the day. All I remember was that we called it Frigidaire Park when we went there. I'm guessing that this was the late 50's, 58 and/or 59. It sure was fun when we went there with carnival rides and lots of food.
Any help on this would be appreciated.
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Syxpack
110 posts
Jun 12, 2013
8:21 AM
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No Ared, they didn't rent out DP&L's park. They had their own, out off of Shoup Mill Road. You're right, it was great and I think the festivals were really their employee's picnic. My brother-in-law worked there and my family got to go there often.
Last Edited by Syxpack on Jun 12, 2013 8:22 AM
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Ared60
34 posts
Jun 12, 2013
7:14 PM
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Thanks Syxpack, off of Shoup Mill Rd. Back in the times I'm remembering that was like Disneyland to me.
Can you imagine? DP&L Park, Frigidaire Park, what company would provide such a benefit to their employees today?
I'll say no more.
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ketteringken
1 post
Dec 10, 2014
4:24 PM
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I remember swimming at DP&L and Frigidaire park but I thought the nice one was NCR park they had a huge pool, and you could go canoeing in water ways they had thru the park
Last Edited by ketteringken on Dec 10, 2014 4:25 PM
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