Cooper Park and Natalie Clifford Barney Historical Marker, Dayton

Cooper Park, the oldest public park in Dayton, Ohio, holds a significant place in the city’s history, thanks to the generous donation by Daniel Cooper. This park played a central role in the early days of the city, serving as a bustling neighborhood hub. Daniel C. Cooper, often regarded as the founder of Dayton, was instrumental in the city's early development.

A surveyor who settled in Dayton in 1796, Cooper became the de facto owner of the town when the original proprietors defaulted. He meticulously planned the city with broad streets and constructed most of the initial mills. Cooper's contributions extended beyond infrastructure; he served as Dayton’s first justice of the peace, a state legislature member, and donated land for various public uses, including this park, churches, schools, and public buildings. His legacy is commemorated by a historical marker on St. Clair Street, erected in 1974 by the Montgomery County Historical Society.

In addition to Cooper’s historical significance, Cooper Park also honors another notable Dayton native, Natalie Clifford Barney, with a historical marker. Born on October 31, 1876, Barney came from a distinguished and affluent family with a rich legacy in Dayton’s educational and industrial sectors. Despite the conservative norms of her time, Barney was openly lesbian from a young age, publishing a book of love poems to women in 1900. Her partner, American painter Romaine Brooks, was her companion for fifty years.

In 1909, Barney moved to Paris, where she became a prominent literary figure, hosting a famous salon that attracted the era’s leading writers and artists. She championed women's rights and significantly contributed to French feminist literature. Barney was also the inspiration for characters in at least twelve books, including Valerie Seymour in "The Well of Loneliness."

Barney's impact extended beyond her literary contributions. In 1927, she established a group to honor female writers, countering the male-only French Academy. Throughout her life, Barney relentlessly advocated for women’s rights, and her influence as a feminist writer is well-recognized in the 20th century. Although she died in 1972 and was buried in Paris, her parents' final resting place is in Dayton's Woodland Cemetery. A historical marker in Cooper Park, located on the north side of the new library, celebrates her remarkable life and legacy.