Wolf Creek in Dayton in Montgomery County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Coming Home
By the late 1890s Dunbar had earned major acclaim for his writing. He wrote poetry, novels, and lyrics for musicals. In 1899 he contracted tuberculosis, a respiratory disease then usually fatal.
Dunbar came home to Dayton. Here he lived his last two years in this, the house he had purchased for his mother. He died here in 1906 at age 33. He is buried in Woodland Cemetery, near his friends Wilbur and Orville Wright.
[Small inset photo caption] Matilda Dunbar loved to bask in her sun-filled side yard. A former enslaved person without a formal education, she encouraged her son Paul to read, write, and publish poetry and novels.
Erected by National Park Service.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Arts, Letters, Music. A significant historical year for this entry is 1899.
Location. 39° 45.461′ N, 84° 13.131′ W. Marker is in Dayton, Ohio, in Montgomery County. It is in Wolf Creek. Marker is on Paul Laurence Dunbar Street, on the right when traveling south. Marker is at the Dunbar House State Memorial. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 219 Paul Laurence Dunbar Street, Dayton OH 45402, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Paul Laurence Dunbar (here, next to this marker); Rising to the Challenge (within shouting distance of this marker); Making His Way With Words (within shouting distance of this marker); Mount Enon Missionary Baptist Church / Euclid Avenue United Brethren Church (approx. ¼ mile away); The Professor of the Propeller (approx. ¼ mile away); Orville's Last Workshop (approx. ¼ mile away); 31 Years at the Lab (approx. 0.3 miles away); Major General Harry G. Armstrong (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Dayton.
Also see . . . Paul Laurence Dunbar's Life Story. (Submitted on September 6, 2009, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 4, 2023. It was originally submitted on September 6, 2009, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 722 times since then and 4 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on September 6, 2009, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.