About Us
Created through the merger of Carillon Historical Park and the Montgomery
County Historical Society in August, 2005, Dayton History brings the past
to life with passion and pride in our region’s creative heritage. Dayton
History is the recognized regional historical organization that collects,
preserves, interprets, presents and promotes the region’s assets,
stories and experiences... to help local residents understand
what it means to be a Daytonian, and to help people everywhere know the
enormous impact creative Daytonians have had, and continue to have, on
the nation and the world. Dayton History partners with community organizations,
government entities, businesses and non-profits to achieve its mission,
and offers like-missioned organizations the opportunity to tap Dayton
History for support services that will help them expand operational capacity,
increase organizational efficiency or deliver improved programming.
About the original organizations
Carillon Park was founded by Colonel Edward Deeds and his wife, Edith Deeds, and opened to the public in 1950. Its mission was to preserve, interpret and celebrate the history of invention, transportation and pioneer life in Dayton and the Miami Valley. A charitable trust established by Deeds was administered by the Dayton Foundation to provide the Park with endowment distributions each year.
The Montgomery County Historical Society was founded in 1896 by citizens interested in celebrating Dayton’s centennial by saving and converting Newcom Tavern, the city’s oldest building, into the community’s first history museum. In 1968, the name was changed to the Montgomery County Historical Society. The organization's mission was to collect, preserve, interpret, exhibit and teach the Miami Valley’s legacy.
