The Oakwood Historical Society is dedicated to uncovering our city's rich history and sharing it with the community. The historical society's dedicated volunteers have done house histories for private individuals, Dayton Philharmonic Showcase Houses, Holiday at Home tours, and block-by-block analysis for neighborhood walking tours.
All these documents have provided our citizens with more information about how Oakwood has changed and how we have remained the same. We are a community of visionaries beginning with our conception as the suburban "Town of Oakwood" in 1872 when the idea of living outside the city center was considered radical. When our city government was formed, we had progressive leaders that helped shape our city manager system and our Public Safety Department. Our early community leaders called for first-class schools, excellent public services, and community greenspace for parks, boulevards, and undeveloped woodlands. Today, the efforts of our ancestors continue as we remain one of the top communities in the Miami Valley as well as in the state of Ohio. As we uncover these stories and share them with you we are adding chapters for new generations.
As part of our outreach, we have held neighborhood walking tours, conducted school programs, presented lectures for various organizations and meet with individuals to gather new stories and materials for our archives. In 2008, the historical society assisted the city in celebrating the centennial of incorporation with the creation of a video history called Oakwood: Our Home on the Hill. This video allowed our volunteers to see first hand how much history was left in Oakwood to uncover. How many photographs were still in private collections. Photographs that would help us tell the stories of the people that shopped in town, went to church and school, and made Oakwood what it is today. We continue to share our research in our quarterly newsletter (available to members) and look forward to new projects and new stories.
Click here for more links to local historical societies, historical repositories, and Oakwood organizations.