Intersecting Lives

The Wright Brother's Home Days Celebration of June 17 and 18, 1909, was Dayton's grand recognition of Wilbur and Orville Wright's accomplishments. Wilbur, addressing the crowd at the Fairgrounds on the 18th, stated, "A feeling of pride seizes me as I receive these tokens of recognition from the nation, state and city, to all of which we owe allegiance..." Orville added, "I want to add my personal thanks for the honors bestowed and I only hope that our work is commensurate with the honors bestowed on us." (1)

And then they were off to Fort Myer for Orville's demonstration trials of the Wright Military flyer. Their father, and their brother Reuchlin would also travel to Washington to witness Orville's flights. Milton, writing to his grand-niece Grace Frazier on July 22, 1909, shared, "Reuchlin and I went to Washington the 28th of June and staid near four days.....In the afternoons, we saw the Wright brothers fly at Ft. Myer- Thursday evening, some ten miles at one flight. Late word is that Orville, Tuesday evening, 20th, [July] flew one hour and twenty minutes...."  (2) 

Wilbur would make national and world news as he circled the Statue of Liberty on September 29, 1909 during the New York City Hudson-Fulton Celebration. Wright flyers were being constructed in Dayton at the Speedwell Motor Car Company in early 1910, as the Wright Brothers were having their first factory building constructed, to be completed in November. 

Elsewhere that year in Dayton, a family living at 271 W River Street welcomed a baby girl into their home, and named her Kathryn. After enduring the 1913 flood, and then the tragic death of their 13 year old son in a sledding accident in January of 1914, the family moved to 454 Grafton Avenue, living there from 1916 to 1923. East of their home by 750', was the home of Lorin Wright and family, at 331 Grafton, where Lorin's family lived from 1913 to 1918. Lorin's brother Wilbur had died of typhoid, May 30, 1912. His brother Orville, sister Katharine, and father Milton had moved to their new home in Oakwood, Hawthorn Hill April of 1914. Lorin and family had fortunately moved to 331 Grafton from their home at 1243 West 2nd street just one week prior to the devastating 1913 Flood, placing them outside the range of the flood zone. 

The Baughan family living at 454 Grafton would often drive past Lorin's home, perhaps unaware of who lived there. If they had known, it likely would not have been of any great significance to them. The excitement of the Wright Brother's accomplishments was now old news for Dayton's citizens. Passing by, neighbors may have seen Lorin and his brother Orville in the front yard visiting, and watching Lorin's son Horace playing with a St. Bernard puppy, but they were viewed as just fellow Daytonians. Kathryn's parents, Oliver and Alta Baughan, would have known of Lorin, not just as Orville Wright's brother, but as one of the Dayton City Commissioners, serving from 1920 through 1927. 

 

Henry Hiddesen campaigning with Lorin Wright August of 1919 for two of the five City Commissioner positions. The five-member commission selected the city manager, and one of the commissioners acted as mayor. In 1922 through 1925, Frank B. Hale served as mayor. Hale had lived in the home immediately west of 1127 West Third when Orville and Wilbur operated their Cycle Shop at that location. (3)

Lorin and family moved from 331 Grafton further west to 530 North Grafton in 1919, seven homes west of the Baughan family. In 1921 Lorin and family moved further west to 1139 N Grafton. The next year, they moved to 619 N Salem. It was while living at the Salem address, Lorin and his son-in-law Harold S. Miller began their adventure with the Miami Wood Specialty Company. By 1936, their company would reach production of 1.5 million balsa wood toy flyers annually, selling world wide.

 

 

Lorin Wright family homes left to right, 331, 530, and 1130 Grafton, Dayton, Ohio. 331 Grafton photo by Author, September 2026. 530 and 1139 photos from Google Earth Street view. 1139 is a duplex property. The 619 N Salem home is no longer standing. 

 

The Baughan family moved from Dayton in 1924 to 62 East Dixon, Oakwood. Coincidentally, this location placed them within a short walk of 2000' to Orville and Katharine Wright's Hawthorn Hill home.  

 

At the age of 17, Kay (Kathryn) joined the crowd descending upon Hawthorn Hill that June 22, 1927. When asked if she went to see Orville Wright, she responded, "Oh, I didn't care about him! I went to see Lindbergh!" 

 

17 year old Kathryn Baughan (4)

 

 

 

From her home at 62 East Dixon, Kay would run westward, crossing Far Hills to West Dixon, and a left on Harmon Avenue. Kay would quickly reach the corner of Harmon and Park Avenue. Then a bee line up Orville's yard toward the house to catch a glimpse of Lindbergh.

 

View of Hawthorn Hill from corner of Harmon and Park Ave. Photo by Author.

 

One month after his famous May 20th to the 21st, 33 hour flight from New York to Paris in 1927, Charles Lindbergh had arranged for a private visit with Orville Wright. It was intended to be a personal meeting and dinner at Hawthorn Hill, and not a formal visit to the City of Dayton. Somehow the Mayor of Dayton and others misinterpreted the planned visit as including a drive through the streets of Dayton where 10's of thousands of Daytonians would gather to catch a glimpse of the Nation's hero. This private visit was hyped by the Dayton newspapers, and resulted in the Dayton population flooding to the streets that evening to catch a glimpse of Lindy. Lindbergh was under a contractual appearance arrangement that would take him throughout the 48 states over a number of months  and therefore could not agree to parade through Dayton on this visit. Lindbergh was transported by auto to Orville's home by another route that would avoid the crowded streets of hopeful observers. 

 

 

 

Author's copy of The Herald, Wednesday, June 22, 1927 Lindbergh Souvenir Edition. "The memory of this visit, Colonel Lindbergh, will remain forever enshrined in the hearts of the people of Dayton. That every hour of your visit will be crowded with 60 minutes of interest and pleasure is the united wish of the people of the cradle of aviation."

 

 

"9 P.M.- Dayton Committee will escort him through city to the home of Orville Wright, Harmon and Park avenues." The announcement resulted in thousands on the streets of Dayton expecting to see Lindbergh.

Lindbergh explained, "I'm just as sorry as I can be over the entire incident. When I heard that Dayton was preparing a parade and celebration, we telephoned from Scott Field and said that unless the celebration was called off I could not stop at Dayton. That is as clear as I could make it. I do not seek to place the blame anywhere, but I believe we have done everything possible under the circumstances".....Orville Wright greeted the flyer at the ship as soon as he had taxied the plane to the flying line. "You are coming out to dinner and we will like to have you come just as you are," Mr. Wright said. 

 

"Disappointed, thousands walked out to the Wright home at Harmon and Park avs., in Oakwood, and stormed the place. Others rode to the Wright residence and the place was packed with yelling humanity. Cheers and calls for 'Lindy' repeated, brought the flyer to the steps of the Wright home four times. A promise was exacted by the flyer that if he would come out once more, the crowd would disperse. This was the occasion of his fourth appearance and the crowd left when "Lindy' came and waved a brief moment." (5)

 

Photograph by William Preston Mayfield of crowd at Hawthorn Hill calling for Lindbergh to make an appearance. 17 year old Kay Baughan is somewhere in that crowd.

 

Within the June 22 Herald edition, The Rike-Kumler Co. purchased a quarter page banner to welcome the Immortal Hero of the Air.

Four months prior to the destruction of Orville Wright's landscaping, a baby girl arrived in nearby Bellbrook to the Fiste family and was named Erma. Fast forward to 28 years later. Kay found employment in 1945 at Rike-Kumler in downtown Dayton, and became the Editor of The Arkay News, Rike's monthly employee magazine. She allowed a young hire to write an article for the Arkay News, by the name of Erma Fiste . There wasn't time to gain permission from Kay's boss to run the article. Once published, Kay's boss called her into his office. Kay, thinking she was in trouble for including the article, instead was asked by her boss, "Who is this clever girl who wrote this funny article?" Erma and Kay remained friends for life. 

 

"The Arkay News Staff ensemble wishing you a joyful Yuletide, breaks down to....left to right: Front row: Erma Fiste, Dottie Clunk, Millie Kiger, Viola McMahon. Second row: K. Baughan, Kay Houser, Betty Wolff. Third row: Audrey Roth, Martha Darby, Camille Gabriel. Fourth row: Dorothy Jeffries, Katie Clemmer, Marg Owens. Back row: Roy Dodd, Elmer Webster, John Spangler. Not present for the picture  were: Jack Vinson, Fae Hall,, Marilyn Overholser, and Marg Osborn."

Orville Wright died January 31, 1948. His funeral procession on February 2 that afternoon, took him down Main Street past Rike-Kumler and the Court House buildings on it's way to Woodland Cemetery. Kay and Erma most likely joined the crowd of people along Main Street as business was paused, and flags flown at half-mast. 

Orville Wright's funeral procession passed by Rike-Kumler at corner of Second and Main Streets.(6)

Erma was employed with Rikes from February 19, 1946 to November of 1949. She had married in August of 1949, and so listed her name on the last three issues of Arkay News as  Erma Bombeck, assistant to the Editor.

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February 21, 1978. Roz Young of the Dayton Daily News wrote-

"When Rike's was 75 years old (it's 125 this year) Frederick H. Rike, then president, began to publish a newspaper for the employees....The Arkay News is one of the first retail store newspapers. Now that it is 50, the paper is celebrating with a special golden anniversary edition. Over the years the paper has had 10 editors, but the one with the longest tenure, Kay Baughan, editor from 1945 to 1976, came back as guest editor for the special edition. For the special edition Kay called on two personalities who once had connection with Rikes. One responded by wire:

Hi Kay: I'm remembering the Arkay News staff luncheons I used to come in for as a guest speaker. And it was a lot of fun. One in particular I recall....somehow you and I had miscommunication, and instead of meeting you in the fifth floor dining room, I was told the ninth floor employee cafeteria. When I finally realized that people did nothing but eat up there, I hustled down to the fifth floor where a whole room full of employees were waiting for me with cheers. Congratulations on Arkay News' 50th. My sessions at Rike's are among my happy memories of Dayton. Best regards, Phil Donahue.

The other sent Kay a letter:

Kay Baughan has given me another assignment. It is like old times. She has come out of retirement for this issue and so have I to comment on the 50th anniversary of the Arkay News. I was a child of 8 when I joined the staff in 1945 (I cleared up my skin to look older). People rarely think a department store magazine as a farm for humor writers. Actually, there was a dearth of material just laying there waiting to be tapped. I hallucinated at Rike's for the next several years. And the readers laughed. Mother who worked in basement sportswear laughed. My Aunt Louise who worked in lamps laughed. My Aunt Martha who worked in shipping laughed. I knew it would be only a matter of time until the rest of the employees would catch on.......But I've always had a soft spot in my head for the powers at Second and Main streets who allowed me to say outrageous things in their magazine. Throughout the years, I have found that only secure people can laugh at themselves. So I only take on those who can handle it. I remember the Arkay News with fondness as do hundreds of people who were a part of it either as staff members or subjects. It was a classy publication. When I went to join The Journal Herald, I missed it. But when you're 13 years old, it's time to move on.     Erma Bombeck "

 

Kay's retirement, "For Kay- Whom I love- Erma Bombeck"

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From "Forever, Erma", her husband Bill wrote, "In 1989 Erma began to experience a series of painful medical problems...Throughout these assaults she remained unbelievably optimistic....I have met astronauts, war heroes, fire fighters and police officers, but I have never known anyone with more courage than Erma....." (7) 

Erma Bombeck's gravesite is at Woodland Cemetery. It is an easy walk from her site up the hill to the Wright Brothers plot, and a bit further to Paul Dunbar's plot.  

Erma Bombeck's gravesite, large boulder by tree. The bench with two derby hats engraving reads, "Dedicated to the immortal spirit of Daytonians Orville and Wilbur Wright whose gift of powered flight lifted our world forever skyward."

Kay befriended a young lady by the name of Virginia in her Oakwood neighborhood where they both attended St. Paul's Episcopal Church on West Dixon. Virginia had worked at Miami Valley Hospital in 1945 at about the time Kay had joined Rike-Kumler. Orville Wright's visits to Miami Valley Hospital due to his two heart attacks occurred in October of 1948 and January of 1949, and so Virginia and Orville did not cross paths. 

 

Eventually marrying in 1957 and welcoming a baby girl into their family in 1958, Virginia and her husband Lewis asked Kay if she would be their child's godmother. The answer was yes, with the baby pictured in Arkay News in the Summer 1959 issue. Kay's godchild would appear occasionally in  the December Christmas issues, with one picturing her being held by Santa Clause, and another in 1975 of her depositing money into the Salvation Army collection bucket. 

 

 

Arkay News, Summer 1959. Kay's Godchild Deb-Deb.

 

Virginia and Lewis's daughter would eventually marry, with daughter and son-in-law both attending Wright State University; the son-in-law earning a B.S. in Electrical Engineering, resulting in eventually working on design projects on West Third Street, including the Gem City Ice Cream Building, Gunkel Building, Gunkle Block, and Webbert Flats. Further, he provided design for the former Boyer Funeral Home building where Orville Wright's preparation and visitation took place in February of 1948. Of these projects, neither the Gem City Ice Cream Building, nor the Boyer project moved beyond design stage. Gem City Ice Cream Building no longer stands. 

 

Orville Wright Visitation February 1948, Boyer Funeral Service, image courtesy of Dayton Daily News.

My mother-in-law, Virginia, died unexpectedly in our home Wednesday, October 25th, 2006. Through artificial means she was revived, taken to Miami Valley Hospital, where hours later she passed away. My wife's godmother Kay Baughan was under hospice care at St. Leonard in Centerville. We had been visiting her each day, but this day, I called to let her know we were not able to visit, but I did not share the reason why.

The following day, my daughter and I went for a brief visit with Kay. I debated whether to tell Kay of Virginia's passing, but decided against it so as to not add grief to Kay's discomfort. We knew Kay had perhaps a week or so left. Friday, my wife, daughter, son-in-law, and I visited with Kay. We had a good visit. Kay was laying in her bed dealing with some discomfort, as a result of no longer eating or drinking. Twice during our visit, she suddenly lifted her arm and pointed directly straight up, with a smile on her face. My wife thought when Kay looked at us, she was thinking, "Don't you see it too?". I asked Kay what she saw; did she see Heaven? Her smile grew brighter, and she said, "Yes!". 

My wife (Debbie) and I visited with Kay Sunday the 29th, and again, Kay suddenly pointed toward Heaven. Kay had told us that she prayed each night to die, and that she missed her parents and her brother, and wanted to see them again. Her parents had passed decades prior, and her brother died in the sledding accident in 1914 when Kay was not quite 4 years old. Debbie told her that it would happen in God's timing, and soon she would be there.

We continued to visit with her each day. Virginia used to visit with Kay often, and would say hello to Kay's roommate Mim, and ask Mim how she was doing. So, as we visited, Mim would ask us how Deb's mother was doing, and we would tell her Virginia was ok. What we meant by that was she was ok in Heaven. So neither Mim, nor Kay knew that Virginia had died. 

On Thursday, November 2, we attended the memorial service for Virginia. 

On Friday, I visited Kay during my lunch break. I had not visited that early in the day during her time under hospice care, visiting always in the evening. I was not sure if Debbie, having just lost her mother, was up to a visit that evening, which is why I headed at noon to St. Leonard. Kay had been moved to her chair by the window due to the need to switch out her bed because of issues with the bed controller. I sat in a chair next to, and facing Kay. She asked me if my daughter was coming to visit today, and I explained that she was at work, so just me today. Looking out the window, I commented that the bird feeder needed filling (one of my duties). I pointed out the blue sky, and colorful leaves on the trees.

Suddenly, Kay exclaimed, "I see Virginia.....I see Virginia.....I see Virginia!" First turning to look behind to see no one else had entered the room, stunned, and not knowing what else to say, I asked, "How does she look?" Kay, more calmly said, "She looks good." And then she continued to call out "Virginia, Virginia..."

Realizing that now was the time I needed to tell Kay that Virginia had passed away, I said, "Kay.....Virginia is in Heaven. She was very sick, and she's with Jesus now in Heaven. And she feels bad for you, and is waiting for you."

From the other side of the dividing curtain in the semi-private room, Mim, who listened in on all our visits, perks up, "Did something happen to Virginia? Did Virginia die?" So, after I have Kay calmed down, and tell her I'll be right back, I go over to Mim and kneel next to her wheelchair, and explain to her that we didn't want to tell Kay about Virginia, because we didn't want her to grieve, but when she suddenly saw Virginia, I had to tell her. Mim smiled. 

I rushed back to Kay. "Virginia was my best friend", she told me. Then in her sadness, she asked me, "Who could love me?". "Oh Kay", I told her, "You are loved by Virginia, by Jesus, by Debbie, by myself, by our daughter and son...." I told her how we've been such good friends for so many years. I suggested we call Deb, and so Kay and Deb talked briefly. As I left to go back to work, I told Kay we would be back that evening to see her.

That evening, Deb stood just outside the room, too emotional to see Kay at that moment. I knelt by her bed as the nurse using a suction device, removed flem from her throat due to her condition. Holding Kay's hand, she squeezed mine so hard. This lady still had her strength! With that over, Deb stepped into the room near the end of the visit. Kay looked at her goddaughter, and said, "Deb, I love you." Deb, fighting tears,  responded, "I love you too!"

Our phone rang at 5am the next morning, staff at St. Leonard calling to let my wife and I know that Kay had passed in the night. It has been twenty years since that day with Kay, but it seems like yesterday in my memory. Our lives intersect with others, and sometimes, those interactions change us...for life.

Copyright 2026-Getting the Story Wright 

 

Notes-

1.  The Dayton Sunday News, Friday, June 18, 1909, "Wright Brothers Make First Speech on Record, Touched By the Tribute of the Nation, Their Own State and Their Home City, They Break the Rule of a Lifetime and Address Words of Heartfelt Appreciation to the Great Audience Present." From Author's collection.

2. Milton Wright to Grand-niece Grace Frazier, July 22, 1909, 4-pg handwritten letter. From Author's collection.

3. The Dayton Sunday News, August 3, 1919 campaign ad. 

4. The Dayton Herald, December 3, 1927, Society and Clubs, Entertains as Bridge-Tea Saturday.

5. Dayton Daily News, Thursday June 23, 1927 "Flyer Tried To Stop Plans For Greeting Early". 

6. From Author's copy of The Dayton Daily News, Tuesday, February 3, 1948. I obtained this issue from the collection of Louis Christman, his personal copy. Christman restored the 1905 Wright Flyer now on display at Carillon Historical Park in Dayton.

7. Forever Erma, 1996 by the Estate of Erma Bombeck.