Bath Township near Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Greene County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

In Case of Floods ...

Photographed By Craig Swain, December 26, 2007

1. In Case of Floods ... Marker

Inscription. Huffman Prairie Flying Field lies to the right of Huffman Dam, the long earthen barrier you see below. The dam is one of five 'retarding basins' built by the Miami Conservancy District after the catastrophic 1913 flood. This dam, along with many miles of riverbank levees, protects downtown Dayton from future inundation.

Because the land behind this dam can go underwater if the Mad River should rise, and because there are active Air Force runways nearby, Torrence Huffman's pasture has never been developed. Today's visitors can see the oldest of all flying fields much as the Wright brothers would have known it in the early years of the 20th century.

Erected by Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • Disasters • Man-Made Features. A significant historical year for this entry is 1913.

Location. 39° 47.714′ N, 84° 5.331′ W. Marker is near Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, in Greene County. It is in Bath Township. Marker can be reached from Memorial Road. The memorial center is off Kauffman Avenue, off South Broad Street (CR 444). Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2380 Memorial Road, Dayton OH 45433, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker

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, measured as the crow flies. Cow Pasture to Flight School (a few steps from this marker); Biplanes to Rocket Science (a few steps from this marker); In Commemoration of the Courage, Perseverance and Achievement of Wilbur and Orville Wright (within shouting distance of this marker); Final Honors (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Huffman Dam (about 600 feet away); Wright Field (approx. 0.8 miles away); Mormon Migration, Kirkland Camp / Facts About Kirkland Camp (approx. 0.9 miles away); Lockheed AC-130A (approx. 1.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

More about this marker. The marker displays photos of the dam at flood stage and the effects of the 1913 flood. "Dayton - March 23, 1913 - Near the Wright brothers' home in West Dayton, flood waters reached 12 feet deep in one week, 371 lives and property worth $100 million were lost."

Also see . . . Dayton Aviation Heritage National Park. Includes several locations within the Dayton area associated with the Wright brothers and aviation history. (Submitted on January 9, 2008, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.)

Markers at the Overlook image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Craig Swain, December 26, 2007

2. Markers at the Overlook

Photographed By Craig Swain, December 26, 2007

3. Huffman Dam

Credits. This page was last revised on February 6, 2023. It was originally submitted on January 9, 2008, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,666 times since then and 20 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on January 9, 2008, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.