Galion History Center

10/16/2026

Adult Trick-Or-Treat is a WEEK away! ✨There are still some tickets left!

Get yours here: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/adult-trick-or-treat-at-brownella-cottage--2026

10/16/2026

Today, we had the pleasure of hosting the quarterly Crawford County History Alliance meeting at Brownella Cottage!

Representatives from historical organizations across Crawford County gathered around the table to share updates, ideas, and all the exciting things happening in our local history community throughout the rest of 2026.

Represented today were the Crestline Historical Society, Dapper Cabin, Lauretta Schimmoler Museum, Bucyrus Copper Kettle, Big Four Depot, Lincoln Highway Association, Harvey School House, Bucyrus Historical Society, New Washington Historical Society, and, of course, the Galion History Center.

With Brownella all decked out for Halloween, our meeting setup felt especially fitting, a table full of historians surrounded by a little Victorian spookiness 🎃👻

We’re always grateful for the opportunity to gather, collaborate, and celebrate the people and organizations working to preserve Crawford County’s stories

10/16/2026

Before produce traveled thousands of miles to reach supermarket shelves, communities depended much more heavily on local growers and market gardeners to supply fresh fruits and vegetables.

In Galion, the Rensch family was part of that agricultural tradition. This photograph from 1910 shows the Renschville Greenhouse operation, along with a delivery wagon for J. Rensch & Sons – Renschville Gardeners.

Market gardening was an important part of agriculture in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Unlike farms devoted primarily to large field crops or livestock, market gardeners grew a variety of fruits, vegetables, and other produce intended to be sold fresh to nearby customers. Greenhouses extended the growing season and allowed growers to produce plants and vegetables beyond what Ohio's weather would otherwise permit.

Getting that food to customers was another part of the job. The Rensch wagon pictured here represents an era when locally grown produce could travel from greenhouse or field into town by horse-drawn delivery wagon. The other photograph captures the operation itself, with horses, wagons, an early automobile, workers, and agricultural buildings all visible, a great snapshot of farming and transportation during a period of rapid change.

Businesses like J. Rensch & Sons connected Galion residents directly with the people who grew their food. More than a century before today's renewed interest in farmers markets and locally sourced produce, "buying local" was simply part of everyday life.

10/15/2026

NEXT SATURDAY! 🎃🌙

Bring your little ghosts, goblins, witches & monsters to Brownella Cottage for Kids Trick-or-Treat After Dark! Visitors will make their way through the main level of the Cottage, encountering several candy stations along the way. 🍬

And come hungry! A&M Donut Food Truck will be joining us for the evening with some extra treats available for purchase. 🍩

Kids Trick-or-Treat After Dark is completely FREE. No tickets or reservations needed!

A HUGE thank you to Park National Bank, our Candy Sponsor, for helping us fill those candy stations!

Grab the costumes and join us NEXT SATURDAY for a spooky night at Brownella!

10/14/2026

Farming has never depended on farmers alone. As American agriculture became increasingly mechanized during the 20th century, businesses supplying equipment, tools, repairs, and household goods became an important part of agricultural communities.

In Galion, one of those businesses was the Galion Farm and Home Store, Inc., located at 200 Harding Way West.

This photograph shows the storefront, while a 1954 advertisement gives us a great look at what customers could find inside. The store sold garden tractors from brands including Bolens, Huski, Waterbury, and Shaw and offered lawnmower sharpening and service. But, true to its "Farm and Home" name, its inventory extended well beyond outdoor equipment.

Customers could also shop for Crosley refrigerators, freezers, televisions, and electric ranges; Hamilton and Dexter washers and dryers; gas ranges and water heaters; radios, record players, fans, air conditioners, and even DuPont paints.
Stores like this reflect an important period of change in both American farming and home life. By the 1950s, tractors and powered equipment had greatly reduced the amount of labor required for many agricultural jobs, while electricity and new household appliances were changing daily life for rural and urban families alike.

The Galion Farm and Home Store brought many of those changing technologies together under one roof, serving the practical needs of both the farm and the household.

10/13/2026

89 years ago Bishop Brown died in his bedroom at Brownella Cottage on Halloween morning. Don't miss your chance to investigate Brownella Cottage on Halloween night with paranormal investigator and intuitive medium - Mandy Cummings! 👻

🎃👻 HALLOWEEN NIGHT PARANORMAL INVESTIGATION! 👻🎃

🚨 ONLY 4 TICKETS LEFT! 🚨

💀 DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO INVESTIGATE ON HALLOWEEN NIGHT? 💀

10/12/2026

Brownella Cottage got a MONSTROUS make-over just in time for our Halloween events! 👁️🎃

🧙‍♀️ October 17 | Witches Market on the Historic Union Schoolyard | 4–9 p.m.

🍷 October 23 | Adult Trick-Or-Treat
Grab your friends, your costume, and get ready to pair some classic Halloween candy with Halloween cocktails! Tickets available here: www.galionhistory.com/events

🍬 October 24 | Kids Trick-Or-Treat After Dark | 7–9 p.m.
Bring the kiddos for a FREE after-dark Trick-Or-Treat trip through a spookily decorated Brownella Cottage!

10/12/2026

Long before the Thanksgiving turkey reached the dinner table, raising the birds was another important part of American agriculture.

This incredible photograph from our collection shows a farmer surrounded by hundreds of turkeys, offering a glimpse at poultry farming before the highly specialized operations common today. Turkeys could be raised alongside other livestock on diversified family farms, providing both food for the household and a valuable product to sell.

The turkey itself has a uniquely American history. Wild turkeys are native to North America and were an important food source for Indigenous peoples long before European settlement. Domesticated turkeys later became an increasingly important part of American agriculture and food traditions.

Turkey farming changed considerably during the 20th century. Improvements in breeding, nutrition, veterinary care, transportation, and refrigeration allowed farmers to raise larger flocks and supply consumers far beyond their local communities. What had often been a seasonal or small-scale farm operation gradually developed into a major segment of the poultry industry.

Ohio remains an agricultural state where poultry and livestock production are important parts of the farm economy. Photographs like this one help document just how much the methods of raising our food have changed from one generation to the next.

And judging by this photograph, feeding time must have been quite an experience!

10/10/2026

Not to be biased or anything… but we might be the coolest place in town to trick-or-treat. 😏🎃

Where else do you get to put on your costume, step inside a spooktacularly decorated 1887 Victorian mansion AFTER DARK, and collect candy as you make your way through the house?! 👻🍬

🍬 Candy generously sponsored by Park National Bank
🎟️ FREE! Everyone welcome!

We can't wait to host all the little monsters!

10/09/2026

Who says trick-or-treating is just for kids? 👻🍷

Adult Trick-or-Treat returns to Brownella Cottage this October! Make your way through the Cottage after dark, stopping for treats and cocktails along the way while soaking in all the spooky Victorian atmosphere Brownella has to offer.

And don’t skip the second floor! This year’s special pop-up exhibit explores the fascinating tradition of Victorian Post-Mortem Photography. 🕯️📷

Grab your friends, plan your costume, and get ready for a Halloween night at Brownella Cottage! Tickets are over halfway gone - get yours before they vanish ✨

🎟️ Tickets are available here: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/adult-trick-or-treat-at-brownella-cottage--2026