DAYTON, Ky. — Jamestown and Brooklyn had been sharing the same love-hate relationship with the Ohio River for 20 years when the two towns decided to merge in 1867. There are no records indicating why the name Dayton was selected.

        On the city's sign, the founding date is listed as 1849, harking back to the original founding of the town of Jamestown.

        By the turn of the century, this small river town had become known as “The Atlantic City of the Midwest.” Long sandy beaches attracted visitors from around the Tristate. Bathers could wade out 50 yards before entering deep water. A long boardwalk featured a two-story beach house with 1,400 mens' and women's lockers, the “Horseshoe Gardens” dance hall, and several concession stands.

        Swimmers adhered to the strict dress codes of the times. The men wore tops with long sleeves and knee-length trunks, while women's suits were full length with stockings. By 1930, swimsuits had become more risque. Men were topless, and women had shed their stockings.

        Meanwhile, with spring flooding slowly eroding the beaches and raw sewage polluting the water, the commercial beaches closed in 1935. No longer attracting out-of-town visitors, Dayton became a blue-collar community — with Wadsworth Watch Case Co. and Speers Hospital the city's largest employers. Both are now gone.

        Because of its location, Dayton suffered damage from flooding every year. The 1937 flood destroyed hundreds of homes, while the 1948 and 1964 floods were almost as devastating.

        Finally, in 1981, a 1.5-mile earthen flood levee was built, protecting the city and bringing an end to the city's 120-year battle with the Ohio River.

        Now and Then, a look at historic places in Northern Kentucky, appears Sundays in The Kentucky Enquirer.

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