Dayton: The Cradle of Creativity (Urban Tapestry Series)

One need only look at the list of inventions born in Dayton to know that it's a Cradle of Creativity, according to award-winning columnist Dale Huffman. "Count them off," he invites: From Charles Franklin Kettering's automotive self-starter to James Ritty's electric cash register, from the ink-jet printer to airplane ejection seats to flip-top cans--this city, once informally called Tinkertown, is truly a hotbed of innovation.

But Dayton is known for far more than its patents. The community's "winning spirit" has generated innumerable accolades for local performing arts groups and nurtured countless celebrities in the entertainment, literary, and sports worlds. It even earned the city the chance to host the momentous Dayton Peace Accords, as well as three consecutive National Folk Festivals.

As the site where Orville and Wilbur Wright made their first test flights in the early 1900s, Dayton today hosts one of the largest air shows in the nation. And as the home of Wright Patterson Air Force Base, the city has long been known for its military importance.

Aided by hundreds of outstanding images collected by photography editor Andy Snow, Huffman presents a dazzling portrait of Dayton's continual influence on American life. "The new age is upon us," he says. "Advanced technologies and synergies and innovative plans are being explored every single day to keep downtown and the Dayton area competitive and full of life. We will rock the Cradle one more time and watch in wonder as creative things and exciting people thrust us into the next millennium in high style."