Interview: Memories of Belmont 

MEMORIES OF BELMONT

BY BETTY STEIN BUEHLER GLANTON

Born Feb 28, 1919

My parents, Elmer and Nora Stein, were among the early settlers in Belmont.  They lived there for at least 40 years.  Their first house, the one where I was born, was on Rt. 2, Box 81, now Smithville Rd.  They sold it and bought the Horlacher house across the street at 26-3 Overlook Ave.  Later they sold that house to Swango Builders, and they built a small house on the rear of that lot facing Nauerth Ave., at 1036.  Nauerth Ave. is now Nordale Ave.

I have a lot of memories of growing up in Belmont.  I used to play in the powerhouse waiting room on the corner of Watervliet Ave. and Overlook Ave.  Next to it was the townhall where we went for entertainment.  At Christmas they would pass out boxes of candy to all of the kids.  Next to the townhall was Dr. Hanes Drugstore where we could get ice cream cones for a nickel.  We sat at the fountain or at round wire tables and chairs.  I also think there was a hardware store in that area too.

The houses I remember on Smithville Rd., starting with Doc Haines’ store were:  another house, then Pepper’s, then our house, then Hoopert’s, then Shilling’s, Shock’s (our cousin), Campbell’s, Lacky’s, Moler’s, and Kurtz grocery at Bellaire.  On the other side, starting at Watervliet, Abe Wunderlich’s store and home, then the church parsonage, the United Brethren Church, then Horlacher’s (later our house), Gueltig’s Greenhouse, and then Horlacher’s Greenhouse at the corner of Bellaire.  There was Rigg’s Tin Shop on Nauerth.  Mr. Campbell raised bees and sold honey.  I took piano lessons from their daughter Mary.

I went to first grade in a little white frame house.  I then attended second grade in a frame building behind the old red school house which is still standing.  In the third grade, we moved into our brand new brick schoolhouse where I went for six years.  I then went back to the old red brick school for the next three years and graduated from the 9th grade there.  Our graduation was held in the auditorium in the new school.

Our grocery stores were:  Kurtz on the corner of Bellaire (Edison then) and Smithville (Overlook) and Pepper’s Grocery on Watervliet.  Shoup’s meat wagon came around once a week with freshly butchered meat.  Abe Shear also came around with his grocery and vegetable wagon.  The milkman delivered our milk with his horse and wagon.  We had an iceman, Mr. Coughenauer, who came once a week with his wagon.  We loved to climb on the wagon and get pieces of ice.  A man delivering bread came every week.  Two tea companies came every two weeks.

Wunderlich’s Dry Good store was at the corner of Watervliet Ave. and Overlook Ave.  Foltz’s Bakery was across the street behind Burk’s Grocery.  Another man had a grocery store on Wayland Ave.  Later they built a store room on Watervliet, and Paul Kennett put in a dry goods store in part of it.  Cherrington had a drug store on the corner of Smithville and Watervliet across from Wunderlich’s old store, and Foster had a hardware store.  Later, Kroger came to Belmont and tore down the old parsonage and other buildings up to the corner and put in a Velvet or Equity Ice Cream Store, a Piggly Wiggly Grocery Store, and a dentist’s office.  We had a 5 & 10 cent store on Watervliet at Morse, and next door was the first Kroger’s.  They were there until they moved further East on Watervliet next to my Aunt and Uncle Harry Stein.

We rode the streetcar to downtown Dayton, and sometimes we rode the Dayton-Xenia traction car.  We always got off sick.  When medicine shows came to town, they were held by the powerhouse and sometimes on Shakertown Rd. in a field.  All five of us girls were brought up in the Belmont Church and Sunday school.  Whenever the Church had tent meetings, we always went.

We had a one-room Firehouse on Watervliet, and my dad was Captain of the volunteer fire department.  Whenever the fire bell rang, he had to run to the truck.  When Gueltig’s greenhouse caught on fire, so did our house, and he went to get the truck.

My cousin, Fred Bovey, owned the only pool room, and sometimes I went with my dad there.  We had a very nice black man, who lived somewhere in the back of Nauerth Ave.  Sometimes he would come to our house, and mom would fix him a hot meal, and then he would stay and talk for hours.  He told us that he saw Lincoln sworn in as President.

When I was in the 8th or 9th grade, they repaved Smithville Rd., and about 10 of us would skate up and down it from school to Wayne Ave. and back.  It was safe because there weren’t many cars.  We never got in any trouble, but we were scared of Jim Sidewell, our only policeman.  He always carried his club with him.

All in all, Belmont was the best little village to live in.  We were all friendly and helped each other.  I am proud to have been born and reared there.

I had many aunts, uncles and cousins who lived in Belmont, and many nieces and nephews who not only lived in Belmont, but were born there, as well.

There are a lot of memories.  Too many to put on paper.  They were some of the best years of my life.

Some of my friends and schoolmates were:

Mildred Clingfield Herbert Miller

Mabel Shock Norman Ross

Kenneth Pepper Cora Mae Hill

Mary Kersey Mabel Hill

Paul Kersey Naomi Davey

Goldie Fletcher Winfred Leshe

Paul Gueltig Audrey Johnson

Bill Gueltig Josephine Tenny

Ralph Bueltig Estella Shigley

Ed Gueltig Katheryn Dice

Roy Gueltig Juanita Thurman

Billy Horlacher Annabelle Steinbarger

Doris Becker Donna Thiele

Sue Fulton Mabel Meeks

Rodney Cochran Mary Sams

Rebecca Stephens Betty Swango

Eda Vacclieno Donald Swango

Stanley Swango Phyllis Swango