Dayton, “The Gem City”, is located in the southwestern area of the state of Ohio.http://www.ci.dayton.oh.us/Public_Affairs/faq.asp The city is the county seat of Montgomery County and was founded in 1796.http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=694 Dayton is the sixth-largest city in Ohio. The population of the city is 166,179 and the metropolitan area population is 848,153.http://www.census.gov/popest/metro/tables/2008/CBSA-EST2008-01.csvDayton is home to the University of Dayton, Wright State University, Sinclair Community College, Kettering College of Arts, and the United Theological Seminary.http://www.juggle.com/dayton-1

Dayton was selected in 2008 and 2009 by Site Selection as the number one mid-sized metropolitan area in the United States for economic development.http://www.siteselection.com/issues/2009/mar/top-metros/ In 2010, the city was rated as one of the best places in the United States for college graduates to find a job by Bloomberg Businessweek.http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/ohio-news/dayton-one-of-best-places-for-grads-to-find-jobs-823699.html

In 1796, Israel Ludlow arrived in the area.http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=694 He surveyed and platted Dayton along the Great Miami River in southwestern Ohio. Later in the year, over forty log cabins and frame houses were built in the city. Dayton was built on a flood plain and the city was flooded several times in its early years of existence.http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=694

Ohio became a state in 1803 and Dayton became the seat of Montgomery County.http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=694 During the War of 1812, Dayton served as a mobilization point for American attacks on Canada and against the British forces in the northwestern United States. After the war was over, textile mills, banks, and a tobacco factory were established in the city. The Miami and Erie Canals were built in 1829, connecting Dayton to Cincinnati, Ohio. In the 1840s, Dayton became one of the largest and wealthiest cities in Ohio.http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=694

In the 1900s, Dayton residents Wilbur and Orville Wright made the first successful flight in a powered aircraft. Dayton became the first large city in the United States to hire a city manager. The manager was a professional hired by the city council to perform duties on behalf of Dayton.http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=694

Dayton lies at latitude 39° 46'N and longitude 84° 11'W.http://www.idcide.com/weather/oh/dayton.htm The elevation of the city is 750 feet above sea level and the land area is 55 square miles.http://www.idcide.com/weather/oh/dayton.htm The annual average temperature is 54F and the annual average precipitation is 39.41 inches.http://www.idcide.com/weather/oh/dayton.htm The warmest month of the year is July and the coldest month of the year is January.http://www.idcide.com/weather/oh/dayton.htm

• Boonshoft Museum of Discovery: An interactive science learning experience.http://www.cityofdayton.org/departments/pa/Pages/LinksofInterest.aspx
• CityFolk Festival: The state of Ohio's only full-time, professional presenter of traditional and ethnic performing arts.http://www.cityofdayton.org/departments/pa/Pages/LinksofInterest.aspx
• Dayton Art Institute: The institute has diverse collection of artifacts from the area.http://www.cityofdayton.org/departments/pa/Pages/LinksofInterest.aspx
• Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park: Visitors to the park can view the Wright Cycle Company complex, the Wright Brothers Aviation Center at Dayton History at Carillon Park, the Huffman Prairie Flying Field and Interpretive Center on Wright -Patterson Air Force Base, and the Paul Laurence Dunbar House.http://www.cityofdayton.org/departments/pa/Pages/LinksofInterest.aspx

• Doris Day: Actress
• Martin Sheen: Actor
• Rob Lowe: Actor
• Kim Deal: Singer
• Dorothy Gish: Singer
• Nancy Cartwright: Actresshttp://www.juggle.com/dayton-1