By Thomas Palmer

Many, many years ago a group of Galionites got together and created a quiz of sorts centering on local history. They published dozens and dozens of questions and answered each of them.

Interestingly, several of their answers were actually incorrect despite the fact that they were closer in time to the early years of Galion.

Today, we’re going to pose several of those same questions for you to attempt to answer. So pull out a piece of paper and a writing utensil, and then jot down your responses to the following. We will be sharing the answers tomorrow in a follow-up post.

Warning – some of these will be difficult unless you also identify the source of these questions (which is the last question). Good luck!

  1. When was the first bank established in Galion? (You can score a point for being within five years of the correct year)
  2. Where were the first sidewalks in Galion and what material was used for them?
  3. When did Galion first get street lights?
  4. What were the first two streets paved in Galion? What year?
  5. What is the name of the Cincinnati postmaster who created the name “Galion?”
  6. What was Galion’s population in 1840?
  7. Who was Galion’s first school teacher?
  8. What was the first graduation for GHS, and how many students graduated?
  9. Approximately where was Galion’s first “swimming hole?”
  10. Where were these questions published and when?

Each Saturday, we post about local history. We call this series “Galion History Corner,” and we will be sharing not only stories about our shared heritage but also updates on history news here in southeast Crawford County.

This series is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Bernard M. Mansfield, whose “Your Historical Galion” was a fixture in weekend editions of the Galion Inquirer. Dr. Mansfield was a friend and family physician, and he inspired the current generation of Galion historians to continue his work.