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Our Annual Black History in Yellow Springs Tours 

Local Youth Mentees are our Blacks in Yellow Springs Tour Guides

Sample Tour: Black Businesses in Yellow Springs

Com’s Restaurant

Owned by a Black couple, from the 1940s through the 1970s and was known for great food including fried chicken, pizza, and other food. Very popular restaurant for Black and white residents and Antioch students. 

Com's Restaurant
Gabby’s Barbecue

Gabby Mason, a Black man sold barbecue from several locations in the village over many years. This building was his home and the location of his last site for the barbecue business. 

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Wheeling Gaunt’s House

Wheeling Gaunt was born in Kentucky in 1812.He purchased his freedom in the 1840s and he bought real estate in Carrollton, Kentucky. 

In the 1860s he sold his Kentucky property and moved to Yellow Springs. 

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Dayton Business District

The Dayton street was the original main business district of the Village until a fire in the 1800s destroyed much of it. ​From the 1950s through the 1970s many Black businesses were located in the Dayton business district. In the tour our guides will talk about the different locations of business in Walnut St, Corry St.,Xenia Ave., and Kings yard.  

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Yellow Springs Toy Store

Owned by Jamie Sharp, a Black woman,  opened this new business approximately two years ago

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Little Art Theatre

In this tour, the guides will talk about the desegregation process of the seats in the theatre and through a community effort of nearby colleges desegregation occurred. ​​

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Gegner Barbershop Story

In the early 1960s Ohio passed a law outlawing discrimination in public places and barber Lewis Gegner refused to cut Black men’s hair. To find out more, join our tour. ​

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Tour Guides Appreciation

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