You know my theory that all roads lead back to York? Here is another example. The small city of Galion, with about 11,500 people, sits in the northern part of Ohio, about half way across the state.
They are on U.S. Route 30, like York. They have an industrial past, like York. In fact, they are known for manufacturing road building machinery, just like we used to be.
Galion, however, has an even closer association with York County.
Galion dates its founding to 1831, when the town was laid out by Michael and Jacob Ruhl, from guess where?
York County Heritage Trust Library volunteer Rebecca Anstine was doing some family history when she discovered where the York County family of John Ruhl got to. According to the History of Crawford County, Ohio and some newspaper articles from the area John Ruhl and his wife and six children went from York County to Galion around 1830.
There was a small settlement there, but a town hadn’t been official laid out. The only inhabitants before 1817 were the Wyandot Indians. In 1817 the first white settlers arrived, and a post office was established in 1824.
John Ruhl is said to have purchased a great deal of the land at Galion, selling large portions to his five sons. Two of those sons, Michael and Jacob, laid out the town September 10, 1831, when it was still part of Richland County.
The Galion Chamber of Commerce web site gives credit to the founding Ruhls--Click Here.
You can also read the History of Crawford County online by clicking here. If you do, I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if you found more York County people.
Click below to read more background posts about migration from York County:
Yorkers Invited to Move to Virginia.
How Did They Get There from York?
From York County to a Wider World.
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