Today, we feature the marker at the Paul Laurence Dunbar House, located at 219 N. Paul Laurence Dunbar St. in Dayton.
Marker location
Marker text
Born on June 27, 1872 in Dayton to former slaves Joshua and Matilda Dunbar, Paul Laurence Dunbar developed a love of stories during his early years. He wrote his first poem at age six and recited his original Easter Ode at age nine to the congregation of the Eaker Street A.M.E. Church.
At age 17 Dunbar developed and edited the first Dayton African American newspaper, The Dayton Tattler, printed by Orville and Wilber Wright.
With such notable titles as Majors and Minors and Lyrics of Lowly Life in 1896, Dunbar finished four collected volumes of short stories, four novels, three published plays, lyrics for 13 songs, fourteen books of poetry, 400 published poems, and uncounted essays on social and racial topics over a thirteen year period. These works helped him achieve national recognition and international acclaim as America’s first professional writer of African American heritage.
He died in Dayton on February 9, 1906.
The Ohio Historical Markers program
Beginning in the 1950s, the program encompasses over 1,750 unique markers that tell the state’s history as written by its communities.
Reading a marker
In addition to the text describing the historic marker, in the lower right is a number. This indicates the sequence number of the sign installed in a particular county.
Example above
Marker No. 8-57. The 8 indicates that this particular marker is the 8th marker to be erected in the county and 57 indicates that the marker is located in Montgomery County.
More information about markers
You can find information about all of Ohio’s historical markers at the Remarkable Ohio website.
