History of Galloway, Ohio - Part 2

(The following was recorded from memory by Myrtle Brooks Burnside with the help of George Lavely, and is reprinted from “Reflections II”, a collection of local stories available at the Grove City Welcome Center and Museum. Any opinions made in the article are from the authors.)Previous to this the surveying had been finished for the Cincinnati, Sandusky and Cleveland Railroad. Within 1872, The work was completed. What is now Galloway was then a clearing. As soon as a plat of the new town could be made, my father began making preparations for the building of his house, which stood on the site of the present home of Mrs. Samantha Smith, widow of the late William Smith, a son of Roseline Smith.It was difficult to obtain carpenters in the country at this time, as farming was the chief industry. My father upon learning that two carpenters had contracted to build the trestle over the little creek just west of here, obtained their services. They were David Deffenbaugh and Wallace Peddicord. I accompanied my father on this trip where he hoped to engage them. We went east of here about a mile through dense woods, and found them hewing great trees for the trestle. They were engaged to build the house in the summer Of 1872, after completing the trestle.The lumber used in this house was hauled from Columbus by my father with teams. The sand for the plastering was obtained from Big Darby, several miles from here. This house stood until about ten years ago when it was razed and replaced by Mrs. Smith's house.For a time there was much indecision about the naming of the town. It was finally decided to call it Galloway after Samuel Galloway who was the partner of Roseline Smith in the ownership and clearing of this land. Smithville was mentioned many times. After the large tracts of tmber were cleared and the land drained with tile made by Clinton D. Postle, Galloway became a very large shipping point for livestock and grain.Roseline Smith and my father built the first warehouse, using the rear for storage of grain, except corn, the corn being taken direct to the cars, as shipping shelled corn was unknown in those days. The front of this building was used as a grocery by my father. This building was also erected in the summer Of 1872. There were three or four sawmills cutting lumber at one time in the vicinity of Galloway.(The conclusion of this story in the next blog entry).