West Alexandria, Ohio

Dadsville

This unincorporated community in western Ohio got its peculiar name from John "Daddy" Baker.

Traveling north on Enterprise Road in western Ohio, near Dayton, there is a sign announcing Dadsville. It seems like it might refer to a theme park, but it is closer to a ghost town.

Dadsville, Ohio, was never incorporated as its own self-governing entity, though hopes were high when the Dayton & Western Electric Line established a stop in the area, in 1898. North and southbound roads made it an ideal place for a stop on the new rail line connecting Dayton, Ohio, to Richmond, Indiana.

The area began to populate, and even got its own grocery store, as people saw an opportunity to build their homes near a railroad station, which would make travel easier. One of these settlers was John Baker, whose nickname was “Daddy” Baker. He must have been prominent, because the town acquired its own nickname based on his: Dadsville.

Dadsville never took off beyond the 14 or so original houses that were built along with the grocery store. Part of this may have had to do with the Dayton & Western Electric Line shuttering and being dismantled 40 years after the town’s founding, removing that lure for potential residents.

The area now falls under the governorship of Lanier Township in Preble County. It is mostly farmland now, though there are some nice things to look at while passing through, like Twin Creek and Sugar Hill German Baptist Cemetery.