Jackson Township became a political subdivision in 1815. The name commemorated the victory of General Andrew Jackson over the British at New Orleans. The township name was selected by early settlers including William Brown, Nicholas Haughn, Jonas Orders, William Badger, Woolery Conrad, William Sinnett and members of the Breckenridge, Borror, Strader and Goldsmith families. Jackson Township was the seventh township formed in Franklin County. Its territory was formed from Franklin Township, the oldest township which was created in 1803.

William Foster Breck, the founder of Grove City, once operated a general store on the southeast corner of Broadway and Park Street. He was the first postmaster receiving mail from Columbus by stage coach. He later built and operated a new general mercantile business at the southeast corner of Columbus Street at Broadway. Breck died in 1864 in a farming accident. He is buried at Greenlawn Cemetery.

According to research by Tami Kelly, clerk of Grove City Council, five members of the first village council in 1866 have been identified. They include William Sibray, Anton Pilger Jr., A.M. Anderson, John L. Smith, Leonard Buchholz, Clerk Randolph Higgy; the town marshall was Joseph Pence. Meetings were held at the Highland Mission until 1874 when a township hall was built. The first mayor was the town’s physician, Dr. Joseph Bulen. A section of Dr. Bulen’s staircase is on display at the Grove City Museum and Welcome Center. The village was incorporated March 13, 1866.

There’s a quaint, beautiful cemetery just west of Grove City in an area once known as Little Pennsylvania, Darbydale today. It’s maintained by Pleasant Township and situated near the top of a hill not far from Big Darby Creek. It’s a long hike to the top. Hiram Lukens was 72 when he was interred there in 1869. It’s believed that Lukens was the first person buried on the grounds.