By Thomas Palmer
On today’s Galion History Corner we have a short roundup of history-related news from the Galion area, as well as answers to last week’s Galion History Quiz.
Galion History Quiz
Last week we shared a set of questions taken from a published Galion history quiz.
If you did not see that post, here are the questions. See how many you can answer, and then check your responses with the answer list at the bottom of this post.
- When was the first bank established in Galion? (You can score a point for being within five years of the correct year)
- Where were the first sidewalks in Galion and what material was used for them?
- When did Galion first get street lights?
- What were the first two streets paved in Galion? What year?
- What is the name of the Cincinnati postmaster who created the name “Galion?”
- What was Galion’s population in 1840?
- Who was Galion’s first school teacher?
- What was the first graduation for GHS, and how many students graduated?
- Approximately where was Galion’s first “swimming hole?”
- Where were these questions published and when?
Crawford County History Alliance
The Crawford County History Alliance held its quarterly meeting on Friday after at the Lowe Volk Park Nature Center. Representatives from the Galion History Center and Preserving Galion/the Gill House were in attendance, as well as representatives from history organizations in Bucyrus, Crestline, New Washington, and countywide. Major announcements will be coming soon about exciting events throughout much of 2023 — we will be sharing information about those activities in early April on 1831Galion.
August Event Set
Mark your calendars now for Friday, August 11. Preserving Galion has set that Friday to welcome the community on the 100th anniversary, to the day, of the last visit of inventor Thomas Alva Edison and his wife Mina Miller Edison to the Gill House. The event will take place from 4 PM to 8 PM that day, and rumor has it that the Edisons will be making a return visit. Preserving Galion will have Edison-themed activities for visitors to observe, including what is likely one of the only surviving childhood photos of Mrs. Edison.
Mina Miller Edison and Nellie Stewart Gill were childhood friends, having first met at the Chautauqua Institution in New York, which was founded by Mina’s father, Lewis Miller. They remained close throughout the remainder of their lives.
Presidential Tour Brochure Available Soon
The new Presidential Tour of Galion brochure will be available in late April. The brochure features nine sites in Galion associated with Presidents of the United States and/or First Ladies. Details to follow soon.
Quiz Answers
OK, here are your answers:
- When was the first bank established in Galion? (You can score a point for being within five years of the correct year) – 1852
- Where were the first sidewalks in Galion and what material was used for them? – Around Public Square, double row of logs with the upper surface hewn flat
- When did Galion first get street lights? – 1859. These were gas lights and two miles of wooden pipe was used.
- What were the first two streets paved in Galion? What year? – Market Street and West Main Street (today’s Harding Way West)
- What is the name of the Cincinnati postmaster who created the name “Galion?” – John McLean
- What was Galion’s population in 1840? – Approximately 200
- Who was Galion’s first school teacher? – David Gill
- What was the first graduation for GHS, and how many students graduated? – 1871, 2
- Approximately where was Galion’s first “swimming hole?” – On the Olentangy River, just east of today’s small one land bridge in Heise Park
- Where were these questions published and when? – These quiz questions come from the Galion Centennial Souvenir book, which was published in 1931.
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.
