WVXU: Why is part of Green Township called Dent?
UC geologist explains origins of Ohio village
WVXU turned to a University of Cincinnati geologist to explain how an Ohio village on Cincinnati's West Side got its unusual name.
WVXU tried to answer listener Mike Wuerth's question about how the section of Green Township known as Dent got its colorful name as part of the station's OKI Wanna Know series.
The Green Township Historical Association said the village once was called Challensville after a local property owner, the Rev. James Challens. But state politician Charles Reemelin suggested the village be called Dent after its valley topography.
UC Associate Professor of Geosciences Dylan Ward said Dent got its "dent" from Ohio's glacial past.
The area drained into what we called today Taylor Creek, he said.
"The reason this catchment is deeper and a little bit bigger than its neighbors is because of where that creek joins the Great Miami (River), right around Miamitown," Ward says. "That part of the Great Miami was relocated by the last ice sheet."
Ward said Dent is one example of how glaciers and rivers shaped Ohio's landscapes today.
"This area of Dent is just one little microcosm of the kinds of interactions between glaciers, rivers and the terrain around them," he told WVXU.
Featured image at top: UC Associate Professor Dylan Ward, left, talks to geosciences students on a rocky beach during a field trip in California. Also pictured is UC Associate Professor Daniel Sturmer. Photo/Michael Miller
Related Stories
Tips to avoid headaches this holiday season
December 15, 2025
A University of Cincinnati migraine expert offered a list of potential headache triggers around the holidays, and how you can try to avoid them, to 91.7 WVXU News. "There are a number of different factors that make this a very headache provocative time," said Vincent Martin, MD, professor of clinical medicine at the University of Cincinnati's College of Medicine and director of the Headache and Facial Pain Center at the Gardner Neuroscience Institute.
Local couple uses royalties from children's books to give gifts to kids in need
December 15, 2025
A local couple has found a unique way to give back to those in need this holiday season. Vic and Laura Troha wrote two children's books together, and this year, they are using the proceeds to buy Christmas gifts for Hamilton County foster kids. The couple are both graduates of the University of Cincinnati's College of Allied Health Sciences and met the day they graduated.
The hottest toys this holiday season
December 15, 2025
Local 12 turned to Lindner College of Business associate professor-educator of marketing Roseann Hassey to explain what’s got the trendiest items flying off the shelves.