Then & Now: Springfield Tent and Awning, early entrepreneurs

Around 1880, the Dial family came to Ohio from Illinois and settled in Dayton. The elder Dial, Absalom, worked as a salesman, and following is death in 1886, his young son, George Hooker Dial began work as an awning maker. By 1898, George struck out on his own, briefly working in Columbus before moving to Springfield to start the Springfield Tent and Awning Company, which was originally located on W. Main Street. George moved to Columbus in 1910 and continued in the tent and awning business, but the business he had started remained in Springfield. They made awnings, tents, flags, and camp furniture, often showcasing the awning work they did for many residences around town. They are shown here in September 1929 at 211 E. Main Street. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CLARK COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY