Today our focus is on the landmark church building sitting proudly on Galion’s main street. With its two massive towers, decorative stonework , and imposing presence, First United Church of Christ is definitely a visual icon of our community. We’re pleased to present this overview of the history of the congregation and building, as shared by congregation member Mary Court…

In 1831, and for about a decade after, large numbers of immigrants came from Germany and Switzerland to the new village of Galion.

As … Read the rest

1. Another Galion Church Updates Online Presence
2. Grace Church Closes
3. Galion Places – Heise Park

Some years ago, this collection of Galion photographs was posted on UrbanOhio, likely the busiest place online for discussion of Ohio cities, urban issues, architecture, and community development.

Entitled “An Evening Walk Through Uptowne Galion,” these images reflect our community on a single summer evening some years ago. Each is accompanied by a short narrative.

For anyone who might wonder how our community can seem to those from the outside, the unsolicited reader comments following the photos provide some food for thought.

To view this unique collection, click here.

Photos: Thomas Palmer, used with permission

Related posts:

1. A Great Friday and Saturday in Uptowne Galion
2. Spring Changes in Uptowne Galion
3. The Ups and Downs of Uptowne

1. A Great Friday and Saturday in Uptowne Galion
2. Spring Changes in Uptowne Galion
3. The Ups and Downs of Uptowne Galion

This production of The Rivalry features Robert Parsons, who starred in the acclaimed production of The Rivalry at Ford’s Theatre in Washington last year and who will recreate the role of Abraham Lincoln. He has been seen in the films Black August and Almost Famous and on television in … Read the rest

1. The Nutcracker Returns to the Renaissance
2. Sylvia and Friends Opens Symphony Season
3. Ragtime at the Renaissance

Efforts to winterize the landmark Gill House have been largely completed, with property owner Preserving Galion History, LLC now turning its attention to the next step in securing its future.

Purchased less than three months ago on October 4, the house was then in precarious condition. Substantial water infiltration was taking place, in large part due to interior and exterior gutter system clogged with debris. The largest culprits contributing to that packed material were the beautiful copper beech trees, which overhang the house.

In addition to cleaning and repair of gutters, the roof has been patched in key locations, the several large window air conditioner units have been removed, and the front porch “overhang” has been reinforced and boxed … Read the rest

1. Gill House Revealed Coming on October 30
2. Gill House is Purchased; Galion Landmark Saved
3. Gill House Revealed Draws Crowd

In 1880, Galion was a community of growth and increasing wealth. Hundreds of local men worked for the railroad, with two rail lines – the Erie and the Big Four – having major operations locally that included large roundhouses for service on engines and train cars. At the time, Galion was a place of promise; its population of 5,635 had swelled some sixty percent in the past decade to place the town among the forty largest municipalities in Ohio. As is the case in all such locations, however, prosperity did not reach all sectors of the community.

In the spring of that year, a young couple in love left their respective … Read the rest

1. Galion Christmas Eve Services
2. Galion Christmas Eve Services
3. It Came Upon a Saturday Clear – The Five Days of Galion Christmas

Late yesterday afternoon, the Ohio Supreme Court issued a 6-1 decision declining the motion by some 44 county residents to stop the demolition of the venerable Seneca County Courthouse in downtown Tiffin, which was built in 1884. The request for relief was made based on a handful of legal arguments, including the assertion that the County Commissioners have continued to fail to provide adequate courthouse facilities for several years, and a proposed Courthouse renovation was the least expensive option available.

The Courthouse has been the focus of intense debate and dialogue for at least the last decade. On two occasions, county taxpayers had refused to pay for publically-funded renovation projects, and renovation proponents had … Read the rest

1. Saving the Courthouse Fountains
2. A Renovation “Sneak Peek”
3. Council Endorses County Levy

As any amateur Galion historian knows, the initial settlement of our city began in the area of the “Four Corners” – today’s intersection of Harding Way and Portland Way. There, an old military east-west route crossed the “Portland Way,” the first state-constructed road built by the State of Ohio, which went from Columbus on the south to “Portland” (soon to be renamed Sandusky) on the north.

In the late 1820s and early 1830s, two attempts were made to transform the sleepy burg into an actual, platted community. Both of these … Read the rest

1. Closed For a Bit
2. Local Roots Grows in Area
3. Rail Crossing Closing for Repairs

While books can be searched, only a portion of them can be accessed freely online. Nevertheless, those that do provide an amazing opportunity to delve into almost any subject.

Take, for instance, the subject of our own fair city. We thought that it might be interesting to explore what Galion-related information can be found on the site. Here, then, are just a … Read the rest

1. GalionLive Now on Google Plus
2. From Non-Plusssed to Plussed: A Review of Google Plus
3. Pro Baseball Coming to Galion?

The City of Kent has looked far and wide for ideas on how to preserve this important part of local history. And for inspiration for that endeavor, they looked a hundred miles or so to the west.

To Galion, that is.

This past week, the blog of the Kent City Manager profiled Galion’s Central Hotel saga as an example of a community banding together, despite tremendous odds, to rescue a piece of history which could also be part of a current and future economic development strategy. As the City Manager shares, “If they can do it, why not Kent?”

Pictorial comparisons are … Read the rest

1. Happy Birthday, Central Hotel
2. Blogging North Central Ohio-Style
3. Saving the Courthouse Fountains

By that time, so many people had arrived for the Gill House Revealed open house that the organizers had run out of tickets. Fortunately, a solution was quickly found and the tour continued on as planned, with the last attendees exiting after 4:00 p.m..

In an event that drew visitors from as far away as Detroit, Michigan, and from Ohio locations like Delaware and Newark, over 130 individuals spent part of their Sunday afternoon touring one of the “new” architectural landmarks of north central Ohio – the Gill House at 342 Harding Way West. The landmark is “new,” because until this summer the fact that the house was designed by the … Read the rest

1. Gill House Revealed Coming on October 30
2. Gill House is Purchased; Galion Landmark Saved
3. The Inventor and the House