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Dayton Police History Foundation Inc. DBA: DPH Foundation

DPH Foundation is dedicated to the preservation of Dayton Police History.

It is organized and operated exclusively for educational purposes as a component fund of THE DAYTON FOUNDATION, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community organization. Intellectual Property / Copyright ©

Dayton Police History Foundation (DPHF) has the copyright © to written accounts and stories posted by DPHF on this site. DPHF also has proprietary rights to the montage images (in whole or part) created by DPHF as well as to its intellectual property (designs and concepts). Although the text and images posted on this site may be shared via Facebook, they may not be printed and published for the market without the expressed consent of DPHF.

09/08/2026

2nd of 3 Times – Military Troops Deployed to Dayton
II. The 1948 Univis Lens Co. Strike – Nearly 80 years ago

The daily gathering outside the company building was rising with each passing week. No longer comprised of Univis striking workers alone, the crowd was growing in size, drawing supportive family members, then curious onlookers, soon allied union workers from the GFR Foundry, the DELCO and Frigidaire factory plants, and of course, newspaper reporters. A strike situation never before encountered by Dayton patrolmen was unfolding.

The Univis Lens Company strike was well into its second month in 1948. The relatively early peaceful picketing was wearing thin and the press was noticing. In mid-June the Dayton Journal Herald wrote a profile on Louis Kaplan, the international field representative for the United Electrical Radio and Machine Workers Union (UE-CIO). Directing the local picket line, he was described as the “left wing” of the CIO union who had violated court orders elsewhere.

According to the press, Kaplan had instigated problems on picket lines at a political rally in Ohio and had been arrested while on a picket line in Lexington, Kentucky. He also was known to instigate problems internally for the CIO. In 1946 while at the CIO Marine and Shipbuilding convention, he was described as “an organizer of the communist party” who had to be ejected by the CIO sergeant-at-arms from the convention floor after trying to be seated as a delegate.

As the strike continued into July, newspaper reporters on scene at the Univis Lens company, searched for different angles to the story. Patrolmen commented, “Not a one of us would be here if we didn’t have to be”... “It doesn’t make sense” ... “It’s like Russia, guarding people who go to work at an honest job” ... “There’s not a man (policeman) in the line that wants to hit anyone.” But nerves were frayed as the patrolmen’s daily tour was stretched to 12 hours.

Chief Rudolph Wurster told he press that his officers had been instructed “not to use their billy clubs if it could be avoided.”

To be continued….

09/04/2026

2nd of 3 Times – Military Troops Deployed to Dayton
II. The 1948 Univis Lens Co. Strike – Nearly 80 years ago

DPD policemen themselves had labor issues over the decades, so much so that they formed Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 44 to represent its members only 10 years earlier in 1938. It was just four years later in 1942 when well over a quarter of DPD’s police had threatened to resign if not better paid. They prevailed. But the FOP had always refused to view itself as a “union” because of the communism connotation, preferring instead “fraternal organization.”

Patrolmen assigned to control actions along the picket line at the Univis Lens Company could easily relate to the point of view of the striking workers. But they were conflicted by the highly publicized Cold War rhetoric of “communism” labeling the workers, an especially volatile charge in 1948. This is the reason that the National, State and most FOP lodge constitutions to this day explicitly deny membership to anyone associated with the “communist party”.

It was not long before Dayton police officers – historically seen as authority figures even though they were more blue-collar in nature – were also viewed by the picketers to be henchmen for management, suppressing their efforts to protest. When the striking workers interfered with the non-union employees entering the company to work, the Univis management obtained a court order restricting the picketing of the UE local membership.

The orderliness of the union workers was waning. Even though Dayton police were called in to maintain peace, the situation was becoming more confrontational. Now well into the second month of striking, it was worsening. The police brought in their new and only paddy wagon, a 1947 Ford one-ton panel truck (double clutch). The plainly marked “Police Patrol” prisoner wagon with its light and siren on the right fender was now on standby at the plant for potential hauling.

To be continued….

08/31/2026

2nd of 3 Times – Military Troops Deployed to Dayton
II. The 1948 Univis Lens Co. Strike – Nearly 80 years ago

DPD faced a succession of dangerous labor strikes over the next decades (e.g. Dayton Steel Foundry), but 1948’s unrest is remembered as the worst. The labor movement was progressing as many war veterans entered the workplace at industrial plants. The “Red Scare” was in its early years – prompted by disturbing news reports about Joseph Stalin, the Soviet Union, and the Cold War – and the labor movement was pegged by politicians and press as being under communist influence.

The Univis Lens Company had produced various kinds of lenses for the U.S. military during WWII. It was located at 401 Leo Street, just west of North Keowee Street. The building complex was on the north side of the street across from where McCook Avenue curves into it. This was an industrial area. Land further west to the Great Miami River was undeveloped, unlike today. The CIO’s United Electrical Workers, Local 768, asked management for a raise of 10¢ per hour but the company wanted to extend negotiations for 60 more days.

UE Local 768 refused management’s request. When 600 production workers walked off the job at the Univis Lens Company on May 5, 1948, a labor strike began. It was not long thereafter that a picket line formed outside the plant. By June 2, the talks had brought about ill-fated discord. The workers and company had reached a total impasse that would draw in Dayton patrolmen. The picketing was relatively peaceful... at first.

A company “back-to-work movement” was interrupted by the picketers. Tensions at the strike line were aggitated and stirred by their fiery union leader, Louis Kaplan. A small security squad (top left) approached the picket line led by Sgt. Richard Grundish (chevron on sleeves). It was the job of the police to ensure that both the members of UE Union Local 768 on the line and management personnel remained in peaceful coexistence as they dealt with their differences.

To be continued….

08/28/2026

2nd of 3 Times – Military Troops Deployed to Dayton
II. The 1948 Univis Lens Co. Strike – Nearly 80 years ago

Part II – It was the worst labor strike to ever take place in Dayton, and arguably one of the worst in the United States [see series Introduction below]. A plant factory in the industrial northeast sector of town in 1948 – the UNIVIS LENS COMPANY – would draw the attention of the Ohio governor and face heavy militarization. And with soldiers arriving, it attracted interest across the nation from California to New York.

Background: In the 19th century, labor strikes in Dayton surfaced as they did elsewhere in this country. A local railroad strike in 1877 was concerning enough that the Ohio National Guard was deployed to Dayton on standby; however, the strike proved to be peaceful. Dayton was an industrial town and known as “the City of 1,000 Factories” in the early 20th century. Union strikes were problematic for the police on occasion, particulariy after the Great War (WWI).

The Browne & Brockmeyer strike in 1934 was a job action by machinists at the local automotive plant. The Great Depression had taken labor organizing efforts a bit off-balance; nevertheless, the union arranged a strike that became particularly unruly. It was not merely picketing. It took a turn early when 35 plant windows were broken out and later an unexploded pipe bomb was found inside. When a crowd of 150 gathered, some picketers pelted automobiles with rocks, during which Ptl. Thomas Dunlavey was assaulted (zoom in on story and see Comment Sidebar).

Memories do not fade in 14 years. Dayton patrolmen were well aware that strike scenes presented risks to their safety. What Dayton patrolmen faced as a whole in 1948 was more dangerous than Brown & Brockmeyer. At the time, Dayton was the 40th largest city in the country. It was a major industrial center when the labor movement caught its stride after World War II. A 1948 gathering of disgruntled workers began with a union walkout at the Univis plant.

To be continued….

Series Intro: Military Troops Deployed to Dayton – July 6 Post
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08/24/2026

1st of 3 Times – Military Troops Deployed to Dayton
I. The 1913 Great Dayton Flood – 113 years ago

Finally, 42-days of martial law came to an end and the military troops were relieved of duty. Safeguarding the local community, however, remains the duty of Dayton police officers to this day.

This series of 14 posts was merely a set of excerpts from a much fuller account.

You can support Dayton Police History Foundation! Consider purchasing your copy of "Drenched Uniforms and Battered Badges – How Dayton Police Emerged from the 1913 Flood" online at the links listed below.

All proceeds support the efforts of Dayton Police History Foundation, a non-profit fund component of The Dayton Foundation, dedicated to recounting and preserving local law enforcement history.

Next up, the prelude to Part II., the 1948 Univis Lens Company Strike.

______________________

Drenched Uniforms and Battered Badges (black/white edition)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0989530213

Drenched Uniforms and Battered Badges (color edition)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0989530205/

08/21/2026

1st of 3 Times – Military Troops Deployed to Dayton
I. The 1913 Great Dayton Flood – 113 years ago

Over weeks – March 25 until May 6 – National Guardsmen remained on posts while the citizens of Dayton began to rebuild. They did so with incredible determination and speed. Concentrated measures were taken to clean the city. This could be done unimpeded only if peaceful conditions existed.

Civil order was the authorized responsibility of soldiers inside the flood districts and the legal obligation of law enforcement officers detailed to the outer perimeter.

Rebuilding required money, and locally, a Flood Relief Commission was established to raise the funds necessary. The flood relief effort eventually brought in more than $2 million... an amount equal to $66.3 million in today's dollars.

Marking the six-week anniversary of the worst natural disaster in Ohio's and Dayton's history, Governor James Cox issued a proclamation: Martial law would end. On Tuesday, May 6 at 8:00 in the morning, the “Dayton military district” ceased to exist by General Order No. 51. Adjutant General George Wood praised his soldiers:

“The work during the first few weeks of this tour of duty was arduous and difficult. The city was in complete darkness, doors were open, windows were without glass and property of all kinds was unprotected. In spite of all of these facts, no authenticated case of looting has been brought to these headquarters.”

This concluded the longest tour of duty performed by Ohio troops in state service since the CIVIL WAR.

To be continued….

08/17/2026

1st of 3 Times – Military Troops Deployed to Dayton
I. The 1913 Great Dayton Flood – 113 years ago

The waters were gone by the fourth day of the disaster (Friday), but the city was on lock down. Martial law had been declared by the governor early on and 2,400 Ohio National Guard troops were deployed to Dayton under the command of General George Wood. They joined the 136 Dayton patrolmen in establishing curfew, restoring order, and securing the city from looting.

The river level dropped to 15.7 feet and Dayton’s Division of Fire was back to performing regular fire duties. This was a safety function best left to it than the military which was more suited to security. While safeguarding and patrol were normal duties of the police, the areas of devastation open to prey would require 18 times the personnel that the Dayton police force of 136 sworn officers could offer thoughout the next month (and beyond).

As the weeks passed, the need for troops diminished and troops were incrementally relieved from this assignment. Worried businessmen, however, wanted the police to "act as soldiers with the military regulations." A request by local businessmen for the police to engage by rules established under martial law was not approved by the governor.

As the soldiers left the governor declared, "All of the duties performed by the militia ... will be resumed by the civil authorities." He insisted that curfews hours and other necessary conditions could be established through the enactment of city ordinances.

Police officers were not soldiers in combat and would not be allowed to act in such a way.

To be continued….

08/14/2026

1st of 3 Times – Military Troops Deployed to Dayton
I. The 1913 Great Dayton Flood – 113 years ago

At least 322 people died in the state with estimates that run as high as 470. Dayton suffered far worse than anywhere else in the state with 92 to 98 recorded deaths (source dependent), but flood-related fatalities in the city are believed to have been as high as 128 and in the hundreds in the Miami Valley. There were 1,420 horses and over 2,000 domestic animals that perished in Dayton alone. The damage exceeded $73 million in 1913 dollars, which is $2.42 billion in today's dollars.

In addition to ONG Major Edward Harper, the deaths within the city included Dayton Fireman Edward Doudna on the very same day – back on the first day – Tuesday, March 25.

A 19-year veteran, Fireman Doudna, was stationed at Hose Company No. 9 at 234 River Street (today, the site of 808 Riverview Terrace) when flood waters overpowered the neighborhood, rising to above the first story of homes. In the afternoon of the first day, the fireman was in a boat near 918 West Third Street (across from Sweetman Street).

The following is an account by Dayton IAFF Local 136: Fireman Doudna maneuvered to the framed home to help a woman escape through a second-story window. Stepping into the boat, she stumbled hard causing the standing fireman to lose his balance. "He fell into the swift current …. came up and tried to grab the boat but his heavy coat and boots weighted him down. He disappeared under the water."

It was 1:30 p.m. Fireman Doudna was the second uniformed rescuer to drown during the flood. Although many uniformed personnel were injured, thankfully, no other uniformed rescuers, including policemen, died during the flood or in the immediate aftermath.

To be continued….

08/10/2026

1st of 3 Times – Military Troops Deployed to Dayton
I. The 1913 Great Dayton Flood – 113 years ago

The river level reached 24 feet on Tuesday. On the second day, Wednesday, March 26, the situation worsened as the river rose to its highest level at 28.1 feet. And when the surge subsided, the calm that came did not instantly evaporate the “4 trillion gallons” of high waters and dangerous conditions.

Later that day, as the waters finally and slowly began to recede, a natural gas vein ruptured in a downtown business; the shut-off valve was 15 feet underwater. The gas line exploded in fire with flames blazing upwards of 50 feet high. The worst fires were to structures north of West Third Street and then sparked across the street to the Lowe Brothers Paint Company. Nearly two entire central city blocks were consumed, reduced to ashes and charred- brick shells.

The most influential private citizen in Dayton, John Patterson (depicted in a derby), the owner of NCR (the National Cash Register Company), had taken early lead to save the city. In addition to the flat-bottom boats [see July 27 post], he was in constant consultation with the public safety director and military.

Patterson instituted an initial auxiliary police force of 50 men to protect his company grounds but that would expand citywide to sworn "volunteer guards, special deputies and citizen police" for the duration of the flood and next six weeks. Patterson also took the civilian lead in the recovery efforts that followed the receding waters. Before the local presses could operate, he published news at his print facility. He coordinated undertakers for the task ahead. Food and shelter were offered to the homeless at NCR.

And when it was over, John Patterson took it upon himself to rebuild Dayton. Patterson was behind the efforts to establish a new charter for the city of Dayton. As a major element, Dayton became the nation's first major city to adopt the "commission-city manager" form of government. Patterson also led the efforts to create the Miami Conservancy District, ensuring a comprehensive flood protection plan was forever in place, the first of its kind in the world.

To be continued….

08/07/2026

1st of 3 Times – Military Troops Deployed to Dayton
I. The 1913 Great Dayton Flood – 113 years ago

By the second day, terrifying rumors rapidly circulated. Millions of gallons of water from a collapsed 13,000 acre Lewiston Reservoir (today Indian Lake) was surging toward a city already under 16 feet of water in some districts. This "news" was causing a general panic throughout the Miami Valley corridor as far south as Hamilton.

Lewiston was one of three reservoirs north of Dayton that served the Miami-Erie Canal (the other two being today's Lake Loramie and Grand Lake St. Marys). The terror that a "wall of water" was rushing down the Great Miami River was, as later learned, without merit but not an irrational dread.

In an effort to quash the gripping fears of the community, officers such as 10-year veteran Ptl. Charles Wilkins were dispatched in NCR automobiles with signs that read: "No Need for Alarm | Lewiston Reservoir Did Not Break." The Dayton police force was still two years away from owning a motor car. Even though the Lewiston scare was untrue, devastation continued unabated for two solid days.

Downtown restaurant owner and flood survivor, Amos Crow, would later express in a letter his disbelief at all he was witnessing and experiencing, “People climbed up in trees and stayed there for 48 hours in all that rain and sleet with out shelter or drink. The water was 13 ft deep on the restaurant floor the ceiling is 14 ft and it [stuck] up on the joice about 3 inches. I saw houses go down the river and people on top of them.” [sic]

Charles Wilkins (twice depicted) is the longest-serving officer in Dayton history, serving a full 47 years from 1903 to 1950 ... from age 28 to 75.

To be continued….

Colorized Version of NCR Motorcar – May 28, 2026 Post
facebook.com/DaytonPoliceHistory/photos/1449634483872994

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