4-30-2025 8:56pm

Remembering Julia Shaw Patterson Carnell

Beth Callahan Editor

Living here in Warren County, we our fortunate to be between the two larger cities of Dayton and Cincinnati. This allows us to not only share in both of these city's accomplishments but in their residents. The people who helped shape our country and our world. And believe it or not, one way of learning about these people can often be found in one of the historical cemeteries located in southwest Ohio.

Dayton, Ohio's Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum, which is one of the oldest garden cemeteries in the United States, is filled with history. And, this being the month of April, the WarrenCountyPost.com has been given the privilege to publish a piece from Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum about Jeraldyn Blunden.

By Misti Spillman, Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum Manager of Preservation

Julia Shaw Patterson Carnell was the wife of affluent businessman, Harrie G. Carnell. Her first marriage was to Frank J. Patterson (died 1901), brother of John H. Patterson. Julia had already developed the old art museum on St. Clair Street in Dayton and became the leading spirit behind the establishment of the Dayton Art Museum. Mrs. Carnell promised to construct a new art museum for the city of Dayton if the community would pay for its operations. The challenge was met and Mrs. Carnell donated nearly $2 million on the eve of the Great Depression.

In addition to the Dayton Art Museum, Julia, along with her brother-in-law John H. Patterson and nephew Robert Dun Patterson, raised the seed money to establish The Dayton Foundation and created its first unrestricted endowment fund. Julia was a businesswoman, community leader and philanthropist. She earned the distinction of being the first woman in Dayton to sit on a bank board of directors.

Julia’s son Frank Stuart Patterson served in the Army as a test pilot. On June 19, 1918, little more than a month after his arrival, Lieutenant Patterson and his aerial observer, Lieutenant LeRoy Amos Swan, went aloft in their DH-4 to test newly installed machine gun synchronizers, allowing the guns to fire between the blades of the propeller as it rotated at high speed. They completed two trials successfully, but during a steep dive on the third test a tie rod securing the wings broke and the airplane's wings collapsed. The aircraft crashed, killing both crewmen.

On July 6, 1931, a portion of Wright Field east of Huffman Dam was separated from Wright Field and redesignated "Patterson Field" in honor of both Lieutenant Frank Stuart Patterson and the contribution of the Patterson family.

Julia Shaw Patterson Carnell was born on July 10, 1863 and died on February 12, 1944 at the age of 80. She is buried in Section 13 Lot 365 in the Patterson Family Lot.

Picture:

https://www.daytonartinstitute.org/art-vids-for-kids-portrait-of-julia-shaw-patterson-carnell/

Sources:

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/90930659/julia-perrine-patterson_carnell