So apparently a resident has emailed city council and feels that consideration should be given to changing the name of Dayton-Xenia Road. And it seems council is willing to listen, and perhaps take it to the streets during the Popcorn Festival.
Taking a look around this site, it's easy to deduce that I appreciate history and tradition. That being said, I keep an open mind and heed the advice of a boss from long ago, "You have two ears and and one mouth, use them proportionately".
Dayton-Xenia Road has been known by numerous names in the past:
- The Dayton and Xenia Turnpike
- The Dayton and Xenia Pike
- Xenia Pike
- The Highway
- Highway 35
- Old 35
- and Dayton-Xenia Road
In 1796, early settler and typeset printer William Maxwell began cutting a road from Dayton to Alpha, which eventually continued into Xenia. It was exceedingly common for the time, and Dayton-Xenia was no exception, that toll booths were established to offset the costs of clearing and construction. There is documented evidence of toll booths on New Germany-Trebein Road at the crest of the hill near the Beavercreek Golf Course, Dayton and Xenia Turnpike near the town of Zimmerman and also on the Alpha, Shakertown & Dayton Pike near the intersection of Factory (or River) Road.
I say that to say this, the earliest references to the road include the words Dayton and Xenia.
During the early days, major roads were most commonly named for the towns they connected. Many other examples exist in the Dayton area as well, like Alex-Bell Road (Alexandersville-Bellbrook Road) connecting the towns of Alexandersville (West Carronton, Moraine area) and Bellbrook. Traditionally the name of the road in Town A would be the name of Town B, and vice versa. So the easternmost end of Dayton-Xenia Road in Xenia is still known as Dayton Avenue, and the westernmost in Dayton is known as Xenia Avenue. Other examples include Roxanna-New Burlington Road, Spring Valley-Paintersville Road and Wilmington-Dayton Road.
So as a bit of a history buff, I appreciate references to towns that were either consumed by progress (like New Germany) and those that no longer exist at all. There's little chance that either city, Dayton or Xenia, will follow in those footsteps, but the tradition of a historical name like Dayton-Xenia Road carries an intrinsic value that stands on its own.
The writer of the email makes a valid point, if a business opens and markets their Dayton-Xenia Road address, an outsider may not immediately know that it's in Beavercreek. I don't necessarily agree that the shop owner is actually marketing Dayton and Xenia, but everyone is entitled to their opinion. If the same business opens on 'Beavercreek Way' as suggested, that would clearly be in Beavercreek.
Or would it? There are plenty of businesses on Wilmington Pike in Dayton, Kettering, Centerville, and Bellbrook would likely disagree!
Beavercreek has battled a bit of an identity crisis for decades. With no true 'downtown' we've battled the monikers of bedroom community and suburb, while knowing we are so much more. I've heard recommendations in the past to rename Dayton-Xenia Road 'Main Street' or something similar, but they seem to fade as they are replaced by other newsworthy stories or events.
We're a prideful community, steeped in tradition. It's not uncommon to hear a now nonexistent town at the intersection of North Fairfield and Dayton-Xenia Roads referenced yet today as 'Zimmerman' or even 'Push on'. You might even generate a Buzz when calling North Fairfield Road anything other than Bellbrook-Fairfield Road... and I've never once used the words 'Pentagon Boulevard' in giving directions in Beavercreek.
While I'm certainly happy to discuss the name of a road as compared to empty RTA buses and anything to do with WalMart, my vote falls on the side of convention and maintaining the Dayton-Xenia Road name. It means 'Beavercreek' to me.
When it comes to change - be careful what you wish for, you just might get it...
Just sayin'...
Feel free to comment below...
