Dayton family dresses up as Dayton’s most epic inventions for Halloween — and it is as ‘fantastical’ as Harry Potter

Dayton woman: “My kids have grown up going to Carillon Park and hearing about the Wright Brothers and our history of innovation, so for them it's almost as fantastical as Harry Potter or whatever.”

It wasn't on their sleeves, but a Dayton family literally wore Dayton pride over their bodies.

Lela May Klein and her family dressed as Dayton inventions for Halloween 2018.

>> Here is what to know about Daytonian of the Week Lela Klein 

Klein dressed as a cash register. Her husband Bobby Holt went as Cheez-it.

The couple's daughter Dory Kleinholt  was an airplane. Dory's big brother Beau Kleinholt went as a pop-top can.

>> 5 patents that show the inventive genius of Daytonians

Klein, a recent Daytonian of the Week, explains the costumes:

Credit: Steve Bognar

Credit: Steve Bognar

“We've been doing family costumes since our youngest was born. We've done ‘Wizard of Oz,’ ‘Star Wars,’ ‘Harry Potter’ and ‘King Kong.’ Halloween is our family's favorite holiday. But I've always had this idea in the back of my head. What better way to celebrate our city than with Halloween costumes? And we figured this might be the last year our kids are young enough to let us talk them into our geeky vision. We're extremely proud Daytonians, and my kids have grown up going to Carillon Park and hearing about the Wright Brothers and our history of innovation, so for them it's almost as fantastical as Harry Potter or whatever. Also, for what it's worth, we considered one of us being the automatic starter, but that is a hard costume to pull off.”

>>What did Bellbrook's "little old people" twins wear this Halloween?

  

COSTUMES BACK HISTORY 

The cash register 

Local history buffs will know that James Ritty invented the cash register in 1879, and later patented it as "Ritty's Incorruptible Cashier."

John H. Patterson acquired what has been Ritty's business in 1884 and renamed the business National Cash Register.

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Cheez-It

Cheez-It brand crackers were first introduced in 1921 by the Green & Green Company, then located at the corners of Cincinnati and Concord streets. "You'll like Cheez-It" was an early slogan promoting these cheesy crackers.

>> Were Cheez-Its really invented in Dayton? Yes, and here's the story

Airplane

Dayton brothers Wilbur and Orville Wright completed the first flight of a self-propelled, heavier-than-air aircraft near Kitty Hawk on Dec. 17, 1903. It lasted 30 seconds.

A much longer flight in 1904 happened locally at Huffman Prairie. The Wrights built their aviation business here.

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Pop-top can 

Ermal "Ernie" Fraze invented the pop-top can in 1959 after having to use a bumper to open cans at a picnic. At the time beverage can required a separate opener and Fraze had forgotten his.

Fraze patented his invention Oct. 31, 1967.

Credit: Contributed by Lela May Klein

Credit: Contributed by Lela May Klein

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