As summer begins to wind down a bittersweet, melancholy mood envelops my days. I am ready for the sweltering summer heat to give way to the crisp autumn breezes, but not quite ready to release the opportunities that the summer weather provides.
With the dawn of a new day, I make my way down the familiar roadways that lead to Carillon Park. Maybe they have grown too familiar. Having logged well over 200 volunteer hours within the park so far this year, perhaps I have lost a bit of the appreciation of all that this place represents. The official name of the park is Carillon Historical Park, and it lives up to its name by preserving and presenting much of Dayton’s rich history. As I enter the driveway and pass by the bell tower from which Carillon Park draws that name, I smile to see a lone juvenile bald eagle perched atop the edifice’s northernmost corner.

Colonel Edward Deeds realized that history can become a foggy memory over time. Once treasured buildings and artifacts can become a pile of rubble or be discarded by those who undervalue their significance due to ignorance or the demands of progress. He further recognized the astounding number of inventions that came from the bright minds and hard work of Daytonians over the decades. In an effort to make that history available to future generations, he purchased the land on the south edge of the city to develop the park. Today Carillon Park’s 65 acres features 30 buildings and hundreds of artifacts showcasing the ingenuity of the Gem City’s citizens.
As I park my car and approach the main doors of the Kettering Family Education Center, I spot Orv and Willa perched together in one of Carillon’s many sycamores. Perhaps they also sense the approach of cooler days. They are part of Dayton’s current history, adding a special grandeur to the city, a grandeur that was missing for far too long.

The Kettering Family Education Center is named after Charles F. Kettering, the Dayton inventor whose list of inventions include the automobile self-starter (that made the old hand crank obsolete), freon refrigeration and ethel gasoline, along with many more. He and Colonel Deeds founded the Dayton Engineering Laboratories Company (DELCO). Kettering became a vice president of General Motors and director of research for the auto giant. He and Alfred P. Sloan (GM’s CEO) founded the Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. The park’s main building houses an amazing number of cash registers manufactured by the National Cash Register Company (NCR) which was founded by Dayton industrialist, John Patterson. As I exit the rear doors of the Kettering building, I purposefully pause a moment to take in the beautiful surroundings. Before me lies the green and beyond that stand the relics of Dayton’s history. This is Orv and Willa’s domain. The flowering shrubs, the stately trees and the manicured lawn mock the ugly realities that are so often a part of the urban scene. Here one can take a calm, refreshing breath, so I do just that.

Just beyond the green I pass by Newcom Tavern. This, the oldest building in Dayton, once stood just above the bank of the Great Miami River which served as a highway through the Ohio wilderness. Taverns and inns in the 18th century served multiple purposes as large buildings were rare within a budding settlement. While stopping by one you might share a glass or two with a military general, a governor, a national congressman, or even the president. Spend the night and you might even share your bed with a total stranger separated by only a board (hence the term “room and board”).

A sign in front of each building within the park gives the visitor a brief idea of the realities of life in a bygone era.

Strolling through the park is like a step back in time. Cottages, homes and other structures greet you as you pass by. (Can you imagine being the guy who had to reset a sundial for Daylight Savings Time?) In many buildings you will find interpreters dressed in period clothing. Some might be cooking over a wood fire, working in the garden or even firing a musket!

You never know what you might run across within the park. In the newly remodeled and improved Industrial Block you can tour a working 1930 circa printshop or see a soap making demonstration. Dayton was once the home of so many industries. As new inventions became part of everyday life, some industries became obsolete. Other industries evolved with the times and actually grew larger because of it.

Automobile production was one such industry. Many children are surprised to learn that the bicycle was once a mode of adult transportation. Horses had filled that role for centuries, but city folk might prefer a more genteel way to get around town. Big carriages were expensive and needed rooms in which they could be stored. Mass transportation was spotty. The bicycle provided quick and easy access to and from offices, parks and stores. But unpaved roads were often rutted and muddy, not to mention the residue that horses left in the roadway. A motorized carriage quickly became the way to go. Many entrepreneurs began building automobiles. Small car companies became rather commonplace. Most eventually went bust and others were bought up by bigger manufacturers. Each had their own specialties. The Dayton Sales building highlights cars that were manufactured in Dayton as well as cars that relied on components made here.

Stoddard, Speedwell, Courier and Maxwell cars are all part of history now, but Dayton had a hand in them all. (Are you old enough to remember Jack Benny asking Rochester to fire up the Maxwell?) Without gas stations on every corner, many drivers carried large cans of gasoline on the side of their automobiles.

But the crowning jewel of Carillon Historical Park is housed in what is now a national museum, overseen by the National Park District. It is rather unique to find a national museum inside a private park, but Dayton has a history of being rather unique. The Wright Brothers National Museum is a small complex of buildings featuring a large presentation of Wright brother memorabilia. The entrance is through a replica of the brothers’ bicycle shop. The original shop was snatched away by Henry Ford and taken to Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Michigan many decades ago. The Wrights relocated their shop several times, but all within the inner west Dayton neighborhood. Passing through the bike shop you will see Wright bicycles and many of the tools they used. Gradually the bike construction gives way to the construction of flying machines and even a wind tunnel they used to test various designs!

But the real gem of the park is housed in the center section of Wright Hall. That is where you will find the original 1905 Wright Flyer III. This is the world’s first practical airplane. The original 1903 Wright Flyer that the boys designed and built ‘wright’ here in Dayton and historically flew on the Kill Devil Hill’s dunes near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, is in the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, but the brothers did not stop with the 1903 design. They perfected it. This 1905 Wright Flyer III is the actual machine that the brothers flew around Mr. Huffman’s prairie just east of Dayton. They took great care not to disturb his cows. People would flock to see this modern marvel as the Wrights made flight after flight above the field and repair after repair within a small wooden hanger they had constructed nearby. Orville Wright assisted in the design of this current building and made sure that the Wright III would have a fitting hometown exhibition site before he passed away in 1948.

Orville and Wilbur are obviously the most famous of all Daytonians and are respected worldwide for being able to solve the mystery of flight that had puzzled DeVinci and others throughout history. Dayton ingenuity at its finest!

As I step outside of Wright Hall I pause once more to consider the fact that of all places our resident eagles could have chosen to set up nest-keeping, they chose this large sycamore directly behind Wright Hall. That is why we dubbed them Orv and Willa in the first place. Just one more thing that I had come to take for granted with the passage of time.

With a deeper sense of appreciation, I bypass the other buildings of the park and make my way northward to the wooded side of Carillon. There, beneath the leafy canopy of stately oaks, sycamores, cottonwoods, maples and others, I enjoy the cooler air that the dense shade provides. These are the trees that provide the quiet moments our eagles seek. High in the shady recesses they are safe from threat, hidden from sight and able to enjoy a solitary place to catch a nap.

One tree in particular has proven consistently attractive to Orv and Willa. It is a massive cottonwood immediately west of the pale green Shaker House. This simple house was a part of the Shaker village of Watervliet which was once located southeast of Dayton. That long-gone village is how Shakertown Road an Watervliet Avenue got their names.

The Shakers were a religious community that embraced a simple style of life and that is reflected in the structure of their houses. As I gaze at the Shaker House, I remember how so many of these historic homes were transported via flatbed trucks from their original locations. Upon arrival, they were placed on prepared foundations in Carillon Park. Care was taken in planning the route as traffic signals had to be temporarily removed and traffic diverted to other roadways. Even low tree limbs needed to be removed if necessary. As I look at the simple angles and color of the house before me, my eyes are drawn to the many vertical, white streaks that now decorate the west side of the building. The Shakers would likely not have approved of these recent adornments. These streaks were provided over the past months by the eagles perched in that massive cottonwood!

Whenever I find eagle whitewash in the park, I look up into the trees above to see if the eagles are still there. So, I do just that. There above me sit Kittyhawk and Skye. They are now accomplished flyers. Although they haven’t yet been seen fishing with any success, they are trying. It is just a matter of time. It is also just a matter of time before they wander off on their own. Skye is much more vocal than Kittyhawk, but these two siblings really seem to enjoy one another’s company. They have already learned so much.

They have learned to ignore the pesky red-winged blackbirds that insist on riding on their backs and pulling on their feathers as they fly across the sky. They have learned how to bathe, how to scavenge along the water’s edge and how to chase each other while swooping and diving. These abilities will come in handy in defending themselves from other eagles in the years ahead.

And they have learned to land without crashing! Well, once in a while, when attempting to land near Mom, they still knock her off the limb, but they are bumping into her a bit more gently. They will get the hang of it sooner or later. In five years they will be fully mature, and each will find a mate.

They have learned what it takes to be a good companion by watching Mom and Dad. Orv and Willa have modeled how to put their mate’s needs before their own and how to live together, never quarreling.

Well, almost never. Every couple has those moments.
I am glad that I have been reminded to truly appreciate all the blessings that surround me every day. As a child I would sometimes lie on a hillside determined to see a passing eagle soaring high in the sky, but there were none to be seen. I had no idea what blessing God had in store for me. Now, nearly every day I am surrounded by these majestic creatures. I am able to watch as young children (and the not so young) catch their first glimpse of a wild bald eagle and it thrills my heart to be a part of that moment. I have seen so many primary students’ squinting eyes burst wide with excitement as they finally spot the eagle in a tree. As their faces light up with joy I exclaim, “There’s the face I was looking for!”
As I turn to make my way home, I pass once more under the park’s leafy canopy. There I find Willa, almost hidden in the shadows. She seems to be lost in thought. I cannot help but to wonder if she too knows that these demanding days are about to pass.

Then, in another shadowy recess of the tree, I spot Orv looking up at his mate. What will the future hold for this pair? Their adventure continues, an adventure into the unknown. The best adventures are full of unknowns.

It is a wild story that soars to dizzying heights yet touches the deepest part of those who witness the challenges. It is a cyclical story, revealing new twists and turns each year. It is historical. It is adding majesty to Dayton’s ongoing history with each passing day. I am grateful to be a small part of it all here in Dayton’s Carillon Historical Park, the place where eagles dwell.