GALION, OH (CRAWFORD COUNTY NOW)—Nearly a century after the Redpath Chautauqua made its final appearance in Galion, a new Chautauqua-inspired event will bring local history to life.
The first Gill House Chautauqua will take place Sunday, Sept. 13, from 1 to 4 p.m. at the historic Gill House, 342 Harding Way West, as part of the statewide Ohio Open Doors program.
The free event will feature four programs exploring Galion’s past.
Visitors can become “museum detectives” during a presentation on archiving, learning how photographs and century-old documents can reveal stories through names, dates, handwriting, clothing, and locations.
A genealogy session will provide tips for using Newspapers.com and finding other local newspaper archives for family-history research.
“First Fair Foods” will examine foods associated with the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis, including hot dogs, ice cream cones, cotton candy, puffed rice, French’s mustard, Dr Pepper and Jell-O. Samples will be available.
The final program will explore Galion’s architectural development, from surviving log cabins through the mid-20th century, while offering tips for researching the history of local homes.
The Gill House, designed by one of America’s great architects, was visited by family friends Thomas and Mina Edison and Henry Ford.
The event is free and open to the public. Donations are welcome.