Galion (Hardcover)

In 1817, the first settlers arrived in the area that would become Galion. Their settlement at the "corners," where Harding Way West and Portland Way intersected, was sometimes referred to as Horseshoe, Moccasin, Hardscrabble, and Spangtown. In the years to follow, settlers began to move "up the hill" to what is now Galion's public square. Michael and Jacob Ruhl laid out the uptown plat of Galion on September 10, 1831. With the arrival of the railroad in the 1850s and 1860s, Galion began to prosper. Small, thriving local businesses such as buggy works and wheelworks, cigar manufacturers, and blacksmiths began to permeate the town. Breweries were also popular, including the brewers of Galion Standard Beer--the beer that made Milwaukee jealous. As time marched on, farming and the production of telephones, steel vaults, and road graders replaced these early businesses. Today, new generations are continuously working to improve productivity, increase business, and ensure a positive vision for Galion's future.