Historical Oakwood home for sale; how it ties to Cheez-its

OAKWOOD — A historical home in Oakwood has recently been put on the market.

The six-bedroom home located at 125 Park Avenue in Oakwood was once the home to Joseph W. and Eleanor C. Green. Joseph was a part of the founding family of The Green and Green Company, with his father, John, and brother Weston.

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Green and Green Company started in 1897 after the Green family moved back to Dayton to begin a small cracker manufacturing company after purchasing Wolf Crackers. They did not know then that their company would grow to produce one of the most well-known crackers, Cheez-its.

The cracker company started as a small-scale one on North Main Street. Dayton was fast growing at the time, and soon, the company would grow just as the city was. According to online historical archives, the crackers made at the time were famously known as Flag Crackers and Dayton Crackers and were traded all over the state.

In March 1905, a portion of the plant was destroyed by fire, but the Greens did not let it ruin their business and grew from the ashes to an even greater company.

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As the company quickly grew, so did the need for a larger plant. In November of 1906, Weston announced a new plant would be built at the corner of Cincinnati and Concord Streets in what is now called the Edgemont Historic District.

In 1907 the new five-story plant opened and began manufacturing Edgemont Crackers. According to online historical archives, by this time, the company had two “branch houses” in Springfield and Lima that housed salesman and their “delivery forces”.

The Edgemont plant was state-of-the-art, with natural light, electric light, ventilation, a laundry room, furnished restrooms, an elevator, and a glass door entrance, historical archives describe.

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The company’s founding member John Greene passed away after a short illness in 1911.

The company would continue to grow and create new products, and in 1921 Green and Green Company introduced the famous Cheez-it cracker. According to online historical archives, by 1923, the plant was producing 4,400 Edgemont Crackers a minute to meet the demand.

Following complications from surgery, Weston died in 1926.

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In 1930, the company would be sold to Loose-Wiles Company, where business continued to grow, and Joseph served as manager.

According to his obituary, Joseph would retire in 1937, spend the next ten years participating in various clubs, and die at his residence on Park Avenue in 1947.

John, Weston, and Joseph are all buried along with many family members in the historic Woodland Cemetery.

The Green home is currently listed at $975,000 with six bedrooms, four and a half baths, and a three-car garage sitting on 0.83 acres.

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