West Side Hungarians

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West Side Hungarians

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hungarian mike 3 posts Nov 29, 2009 1:21 PM	I am in the editing and design stages of a history book, Dayton Hungarians: Their Stories, Glories and Folklore - and I am looking for a few vintage photographs of Hungarian establishments that seem to be somewhat elusive - Steve Lukacs' Tap Room - a popular eatery and bar in the 1950s and 60s at 348 Western Avenue across from the Sucher Meat Packing Plant and near Dayton tire and Rubber. The Hungarian Village Restaurant at 1261 West Third Street from the 1940s or 1950s. Joe Lukacs' Grocery Store on the corner of Dakota and Summit streets from the early 1900s to the 1950s. Barry's Wax Works - disc jockey Gene "By Golly" Barry's Record Shop in the 1200 block of West Third Street in the 1950s. If anyone out there has these photographs or knows where I can receive copies - digital or hard copies - I would be very appreciative. I look forward to hearing from anyone who might have them! Thank you! Mike Sakal Phoenix, Arizona (602) 578-3066 or (480) 898-6533 or (602) 997-2354
Marck1957 95 posts Nov 29, 2009 1:51 PM	Mike...I have one image of The Hungarian Clubhouse at Dakota and Summit. It looks like it is the late 1800s, maybe 1900.
hungarian mike 7 posts Nov 29, 2009 2:04 PM	Hi Marck1957! Wow - that was a quick reply? By chance, is the image on an old postcard, or does this show the front of the building? I know I have a copy of an old postcard that shows the first three buildings on the West Side Hungarian settlment at Dakota and Summit - and the Clubhouse is in there. I also know of another one that shows a group of Hungarian men standing to the side of the building along the Summit Street side of it. It's one of those old panoramic ones. Are you Hungarian, and was this picture in your family? I would love to see a copy of it. Is it possible to share and email digitially? Mike mjsakal@hotmail.com I would love to see a copy of it?
Chuck61 3 posts Jan 15, 2010 10:37 AM	Is the book published. I would like to buy a copy. My family came from Hungary, but resided in Troy, They would visit friends in the Dayton area back in the day. My Grandmother just turned 90 years old. She parents where the ones visting friends in Dayton.
Fran 3 posts Jan 21, 2010 7:24 AM	Hi Mike. Sorry I've been so slow in getting stuff to you. Do you have a fax number when I can send you copies of this stuff. One picture is of St. Emrick's Hall at the corner of Summit and Dakota - a bunch of the gradeschool girls are dressed in Hungarian costumes. I also have a picture of Grandpa Kender standing in front of Kender's Kish Magyar Vendeglo. What about a copy of a picture of the Dayton Dakota's football team - city champs from 1930-1931-1930. And a copy of an article of Johnny Kender standing in front of the Kender house at 1221 W. Third - titled "the house nobody wants" - and making a reference to Orville Wright's lab. Do you need/or have a copy of the 50th Anniversary book from Holy Name in 1959?
Fran 4 posts Jan 21, 2010 7:47 AM	OH! I also have a picture of the inside of Kender's Nite Club - looks to be in the 30's.
icsalum 34 posts Jan 21, 2010 8:42 AM	Fran - all of those photos and the 50th anniversary book from Holy Name Parish, would be wonderful on this site. Maybe you could get Curt scans of the photos and the parish book. They would make great additions to the DHBO site. Thanks.
Fran 5 posts Jan 22, 2010 12:41 PM	I've got lots of early Westside Hungarian stuff. One picture I have is my great grandmother working in the kitchen at the Algonquin Hotel (also have an Algonquin fork). My scanner is broken right now. I can copy stuff and fax it. There's a snapshot of "Danceland" at Lakeside amusement park. Roosevelt High School football team, a graduation program for the class of 1943 - and some snapshots of that team playing at the old Baujan stadium. First communion pictures and grade school graduation from Holy Name - both for my father - and then for my brother who was in the last graduating class at Holy Name.
Steve K 167 posts Jan 23, 2010 5:20 PM	Mike... I just found a mention of a gypsy chief who died in Dayton in 1930, looks like James Dczkl or Dezki? Neither one is a gypsy name that I recall hearing around here before... he died at St. Elizabeth Hospital, didn't say where he was buried, but it suggests it was in Dayton, but don't see him listed at Woodland where the rest of the gypsies are. I'll email the article if you want it. wd8dcx@aol.com
hungarian mike 13 posts Jan 25, 2010 5:21 PM	Hi Fran and Steve K - I hope all is going well with you guys. Yes, Fran, I definitely would like to see the interior shot of Kender's that you have - do you know of anyone who has a scanner that you could put the pictures so you could email anything to me? My email address if mjsakal@hotmail.com. Also, I was looking for a copy of a picture of the last graduating class from Holy Name - Was that in 1962 or 1963? I thought it was '62? I would love to have a copy of that picture with all the names in it. Do you have your brother's contact information, or do you have a copy of the picture? Please let me know! Thank you! We'll be in touch!
AJP 1 post Sep 16, 2010 3:58 PM	Mike Sakal I meet you about 6yrs or 8yrs ago at the Old Court House in Dayton OH. you were writing a book about Hungarian in West Dayton Did you finish the book also is it still available where can I get a copy of it. Thank You asp@skywayusa.net
AJP 2 posts Sep 28, 2010 5:55 AM	Mike could you send me a copy of the Dakota Club I went ther as a child in the 40's Thank You email address asp@skywayusa.net
bobjudybrown4042 2 posts Apr 30, 2013 6:28 AM	Fran,Could you send me any photos you have of the Dayton Dakotas football team that you mentioned in one of your blogs. My dad played semi pro football in the early and mid thirties and may be shown on the photos. He also played for a team known as the Dayton Kesslers, owned by a Doc Kesslers, that played home games at Westwood Ball Park. Thanks for any info you have. bobjudybrown4042@yahoo.com
johnfader 22 posts Apr 30, 2013 9:15 PM	bobjudybrown4042 My dad also played for the Dakota Athletic Club around that time. He was the center for 9 years and was known as Rat Fader.We used to have a team picture but I haven't seen it in years. If I run across it I'll send you a copy.
AllenN71 443 posts May 01, 2013 9:06 AM	I wish you well in your research, Mike. The vibrant ethnic sub-culture in Dayton is not widely known nor documented. Too many people have an impression of Dayton at her zenith being comprised of WASP middle and upper middle class white folks east of the Great Miami and janitors and other (mostly black) plebians living on the West side. In truth our beloved home town was and is composed of a much more complex social dynamic. This is an aspect of Dayton that needs to be pointed out and a misconception that needs to be corrected. Thank you for your effort in this regard.
Riverdale Ghost 340 posts May 01, 2013 3:48 PM	This topic was started three years ago. I doubt that Mike got very far. If so, I'd like to know about it. ---------- Honest Communications Is The Foundation of Civilizations.
BrendaB 1 post Oct 12, 2013 8:22 PM	I am looking for anyone who may know where the original Reformed Hungarian Evangalistic Church is at. It should be located somewhere near Dakota and Conley street at the river. I'm not sure if it has been torn down or not. My great great grandfather was the founder and first pastor there. My grandparents were also married there. Anyone know anything about these families that lived in each of the Hungarian areas in Dayton? Last names; Demeter, Hartman, Kovach, Borba Brenda
Riverdale Ghost 395 posts Oct 13, 2013 7:34 AM	BrendaB The North Dayton church is/was a direct descendent of the West Side church. The church office should have kept the address of the West Side building and some historical notes as well as contacts with some of the descendants of the people. If you can't find anything by contacting some of the people who have belonged to the North Dayton church, post again. I'll try to hunt up a friend who's mother (now long deceased) belonged to the church. I'm under the impression that the Demeters, at least some of them, were Roman Catholic. As for the Kovach (?Kovacs), my step-grandfather was so named, but I know very little as my grandmother (again, Roman Catholic) died around 1929 and he remarried. They lived on Kammer avenue in the 1950's, if that helps. ---------- Honest Communications Is The Foundation of Civilizations. Last Edited by Riverdale Ghost on Oct 13, 2013 8:06 AM
luv my dayton 417 posts Oct 14, 2013 9:16 AM	As a child I remember well Hungarian Village and the after church meal with my family and grandparents. We thought it was fun to have the train go by and rattle the place. Was not Hungarian myself but loved the food and do have several friends who are Hungarian. Will see if she would provide something for your articles.
jzb20 3 posts Feb 27, 2014 12:28 PM	Lukac's Tap Room had the best port tenderloin sandwiches. Anyone else remember them? Anyone know how they were made? Seem to remember them being a deep fried pork scallopini, but I don't remember much else about the.
JudyO 1 post Mar 30, 2014 11:30 AM	BrendaB and Riverdale Ghost My uncle was a Demeter....maybe I can give you a little info.
JudyO 2 posts Mar 30, 2014 2:34 PM	Hungarian mike What's the latest on your book?
johnfader 48 posts Mar 31, 2014 4:58 PM	The Hungarian Evangelical and reformed Church was on Blaine St. and Wolf Creek was across the street from it. They moved to Anna St. around 1950 or so. I was treasurer for a couple of years in my younger days. My Dad used to run around with a Jack Demeter and I think he lived on Edison St. I had an uncle that was a bartender at Luckacs' and Dad used to get a gallon jug of beer to take home almost every night. I ate a lot of those tenderloins. They would pound them out thin, bread them and deep fry. Always served on a bun with dill pickle chips and a strip of hot pepper. After I was married and we had couples over, I would get a dozen or so for a snack for them. I think they were only a quarter.
johnfader 49 posts Mar 31, 2014 5:57 PM	I forgot, Luckacs' also served the tenderloin grilled. They were still pounded out thin. I now live in Indiana and people around here think this is about the only place to get a tenderloin sandwich. I quit arguing with them long ago.
JudyO 3 posts Apr 02, 2014 5:25 PM	johnfader I wonder if your dad ran around with my Uncle John Demeter. He lived in that area.
johnfader 50 posts Apr 02, 2014 10:00 PM	JudyO Probably was, maybe Jack was a nickname. Do you remember if your uncle played cards at a tavern called Ellises(SP?)? It was on Dakota and Conover Sts. next to the Hungarian Hall.
JudyO 4 posts Apr 06, 2014 4:45 AM	johnfader I know he went there a lot! Other relatives' last names .... Janka, Schwartzkopf went to that bar. And my family was Wachter and I KNOW my dad played cards there!
DFletcher 1 post Jun 01, 2014 7:04 PM	Brenda B, Riverdale Ghost- My great-grandfather was a leader in the Hungarian Reformed Church in the early 1900's, surname Darabos. I have images from the church's 25th anniversary celebration held in 1929 and have indexed all of the surnames found in it. In a quick search I see several of the surnames mentioned: Demeter, Kova'cs, Boda and Borsa (but no Borba). If you would like to communicate outside of this site...magyarulatbellsouthdotnet.
Hungarian Mike Again 1 post Nov 30, 2014 8:34 PM	Hi Everyone - West Side Hunkeys, North Dayton Hunkeys and Hungarian history lovers! Yes - I am back after a long absence as I was busy in a news reporting career that I no longer work in. To Riverdale Ghost and others - the manuscript for my Dayton Hungarian history book is pretty much complete - I am giving it another editing "cut" - and scanning my West Side Hungarian and Old North Dayton Hungarian photographs that I collected in the early to mid 1990s by the people who lived in those neighborhoods during the 1920s, 30s, the Great Depression, the wars and saw the changing of the neighborhoods. As you may recall - I am lookg for some 1920s-30s era photos of Joe Lukacs grocery store that once was on Dakota and Summit street, the Budapest Cafe (across the street from Joe Lukacs), a straight-on photo of the Hungarian Village Restaurant and Night Club at 1261 West Third Street, and possibly an exterior shot of Steve Lukacs' Tap Room that used to be a popular place at 348 estern Avenue at Oakridge - across the street from the Charles Sucher Meat Packing Plant. Please let me know if anyone found any of these photos during the last few years and if I would be able to copy them. I would greatly appreciate having copies of any of these places. I pretty much have reconstructed the long gone HUngarian neighborhoods of Dayton through vintage photographs and am taking steps toward publishing the book. It's been a long time and a lot of work, but a lot of that work is done. We just need to take it across the finish line. Thank you!
Hungarian Mike Again 2 posts Nov 30, 2014 8:39 PM	Hi - I meant to say I need a photo of the exterior photo of Steve Lukacs' Tap Room that was a popular place for many year at 348 Western Avenue at Oakridge. Does anyone out there have an image of that place?
johnfader 61 posts Nov 30, 2014 9:52 PM	Hungarian Mike Again Please let us know when the book is published and where we can get it. I'm really looking forward to it.
newsnot 446 posts Dec 01, 2014 8:45 AM	Hungarian Mike, What do you know about Sucher Packing Co. ? Just briefly. Any Pictures?
Hungarian Mike Again 3 posts Dec 03, 2014 8:30 AM	Hi BrendaB and JohnFader ... Although I pretty much have completed the writing of the book and collected pretty much all of the photographs of the Dayton Hungarian neighborhoods I need - book is in the editing stages of what needs to stay in it and what needs to come out ... As noted, I would love to find some of the pictures I mentioned in the posts above ... What kind of pictures do you have from the West Side John Fader? I have pictures of the Dakota Street Football Team, likely some with your dad in them ... I would love to find one of the North Dayton Merchants football team from the 1930s ... they were in the same league as the Dakotas ... Also, BrendaB - the original Hungarian Reformed Church in Dayton was on Blaine Street between Conover and Summit streets, across the banks of Wolf Creek ... The church building still is there as is the parsonage ... the only two buildings on that street, I believe ... maybe one other house ... And newsnot - The Sucher Pacher Co. dates back to the late 1800s and used to be on Western Avenue near Oakridge Avenue ... owned by the Sucher family until sometime in the 40s - Arthur Beerman later ran it ... the Sucher family was very community-minded and had a lot of sporting events on the grounds through the years - 1930s-50s. I have a photo of the complex and an interior shot of some workers, likely from the 1930s ... Still would love to find photos of Steve Lukacs' Tap Room building that used to be across the street from the plant! Do you know anyone who may have some? :)
newsnot 449 posts Dec 03, 2014 5:15 PM	Hungarian Mike, Sorry I don't know about the tap room. I like as much information about Suchers as I can get. Some other meat packing companies around and in Dayton: Dayton William Focke's Sons Troy Braun Brothers Piqua Val Decker Packing Company
newsnot 450 posts Dec 03, 2014 5:20 PM	Hungarian Mike is the coolest moniker on the site.
johnfader 62 posts Dec 03, 2014 8:23 PM	Hungarian Mike Again I have contacted my nephew to see if he has any of the old pictures Mom and Dad used to have. They and my sister have passed on and he may still have some. We attended the Reformed Church on Blaine St. and on Anna St. when it moved. I lived on West First St. and knew Sucher's and Luckac's very well. Will let you know what I find.
Riverdale Ghost 489 posts Dec 04, 2014 4:37 AM	Gosh, if I add Hungarian (or even Hunky) to my moniker, will that make me cool, too? It's legitimate. ---------- Honest Communications Is The Foundation of Civilizations.
theWiz 47 posts Dec 04, 2014 6:02 AM	Hi Mike, will your book have anything about OUR family (Sakal/Szakal) in it??? My mom (your aunt) Julia (Judy) was a Sakal.
Riverdale Ghost 490 posts Dec 05, 2014 5:37 AM	Hey, theWiz, is that a shortened form of Szakaly? ---------- Honest Communications Is The Foundation of Civilizations.
theWiz 49 posts Dec 07, 2014 10:09 AM	Riverdale Ghost--not that I've ever heard, but my cousin Hungarian Mike could answer that question more accurately.
Riverdale Ghost 491 posts Dec 07, 2014 6:02 PM	As I understand it, theWiz, an "I" or a "y" on the end of a name was a sort of addenda. The Szakaly people were supposedly substantially in Transylvania and it's no longer part of Hungary. ---------- Honest Communications Is The Foundation of Civilizations.
Hungarian Mike Again 4 posts Jan 05, 2015 12:48 PM	For Riverdale Ghost, John Fader and the Wiz - By the Way - who is the Wiz? If you're my cousin ... LOL. Also, John Fader - any luck with any of those old West Side pictures? Any of Lukacs' Tap Room at 348 Western Avenue? Also - Does anyone remember Walter and Ansil Blass, the last couple to own/run Lukacs' in the early 1970s? I would love to contact any of their children of grandchildren ... And one more thing - Does anyone know how to contact any of former disc jockey Gene "By Golly" Barry's family or daughters? I would love to find some photos of his record shop that used to be on West Third Street near Broadway ...
Hungarian Mike Again 6 posts Jan 05, 2015 12:55 PM	And John Fader - It was Illes Tavern on Dakota Street. The tavern was owned by Steve Illes.
johnfader 63 posts Jan 05, 2015 10:37 PM	Hungarian Mike Again - My nephew hasn't found any of the old pictures. I doubt there would have been any of Luckac's. My mother would have been the one to take pictures and she didn't think much of the bars my dad frequented. I was hoping there would be some of the congregation at the HR Church. Looking forward to the book. Last Edited by johnfader on Jan 05, 2015 10:38 PM
theWiz 50 posts Jan 06, 2015 6:39 PM	Hungarian Mike Again---Yep, I'm your cousin!!! I'm real excited about your book--where will I be able to buy a copy?? And when will it be published??? I just recently connected with our cousin Brenda on FB.
Hungarian Andrasik 1 post Jan 09, 2015 10:21 AM	My grandma lived on Kamera Ave and owned a grocery store on Lakeview for many years
Riverdale Ghost 496 posts Jan 09, 2015 4:12 PM	Kamera Ave.? Kammer Ave.? Tell me more. I grew up on Kammer Ave. ---------- Honest Communications Is The Foundation of Civilizations.
Hungarian Mike Again 7 posts Jan 12, 2015 4:09 PM	Hi Hungarian Andrasik - Yes, I'm pretty sure your grandmother was Mary Andrasik ... not sure which Andrasik you are. I would love to have any copies of your grandmother's grocery store that once was on Riverview Avenue ... Do you know what the address was or the block it was in? I would love to find any photos of your grandmother in the store or standing in front of it. Would you have any pictures of it that you could email to me as jpegs? Please let me know. Still looking for any good interior or exterior photos of Steve Lukacs' Tap Room ... where they had the best pork tenderloins in town ...
luv my dayton 801 posts Jan 13, 2015 7:24 AM	Knew a girl named Andrasik that went to Centerville. Believe one of her relatives was owner or part owner back then to Carls body shop. Also have known a Hungarian family named Takacs for years. The latter I mentioned lived off Keowee and attended Kiser. Last Edited by luv my dayton on Jan 13, 2015 3:29 PM

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