Asa Hosford
ASA HOSFORD, miller and farmer; P. O. Gallon. Among the early settlers of this county, and one worthy of special mention, is Asa Hosford, the subject of this sketch. He was born in Richfield, Mass., in 1799. At the age of 6 years, his parents removed from Litchfield, Conn., to Jefferson Co., N. Y., and located upon a farm, remaining there for fourteen years, when they again removed to Ontario Co., N. Y., remaining there for four years. Mr. Hosford then being of age, and having a strong desire to see Ohio, he, in company with his brother Horace, started upon a tour. They came to Cleveland upon the first steamboat upon the Lakes, and then started for the interior of Ohio on foot. This was in the fall of 1819. Mr. Hosford remained in Huron Co. all winter, and in the spring was joined by his parents, who located in what is now Crawford Co. Mr. Hosford worked for several years to get his first $100, when he entered 8O acres of land near Gallon. In 1824, he opened the first hotel in the neighhorhood. It was located somewhere in the present site of Galion, and for eight years was the proprietor. He finally sold the hotel property to Ruhl for $600, and invested this money in 43 acres of land, which was situated where the heart of Gallon is to-day. It was the intention of Mr. Hosford to lay out a town. Ruhl also had the same intentions, and finally bought the 43 acres of Mr. Hosford. He then, in 1832, bought the mill property in Polk Township, where he still resides, building a mill which is in operation to-day. He was married in 1825, to Miss Alta Kent, of Bucyrus. They have three children living—Rebecca, Eri and Stephen. Mr. Hosford has been honored by many offices of trust by his friends, and in all has discharged them with ability and honor. His connection with the railroad, in which he deserves great credit, appears in the history of Galion.
One of the duties intrusted to Asa Hosford during the session of the Legislature in the winter of 1844-45—during his visit to the State capital—was that of securing an opening through the township and city [Galion] by means of a railroad. Mr. Hosford worked earnestly for this road. As first proposed, it was to end on the south at Columbus and strike the old Sandusky, Mansfield & Newark Railroad at some convenient point near Shelby. Now, to fully realize the condition of affairs, it must be remembered that Polk Township and all the farming country that was nearer to Mansfield than Sandusky, were having their trade and selling their produce at Mansfield and Shelby, Richland County, which was the most powerful county in Northern Ohio. She had brilliant men in her courts and legislative halls, among whom might be mentioned Gov. Bartley, Thomas Ford, Judge Brinkerhoof, Judge Stuart, Barnabas Burns, and hosts of others. At this time, Thomas Baiiley was President of the Senate, and Hettrick was Representative. Hettrick had secured an enactment whereby that portion of Richland County that had passed into Crawford was released from taxation for public buildings for all time. But in regard to the railroad, Mansfield was the market town, and her people knew that a railroad through Galion would destroy their trade with us; and on the west at Bucyrus, they were making a desperate struggle for the county seat against Galion. Mr. Hosford succeeded in putting by the permanent location for two years, and it has been said that Galion came within one vote of securing the location here. With this opposition, Mr. Hosford had a large and formidable array of opponents and a perfect galaxy of talent against him. The Representatives from the two north and south extremes of the State were indifiereut about the road, for neither extremes of the road affected them. Eventually, the Representatives of Cleveland and Cincinnati conceived the idea of projecting the proposed road from the lake at Cleveland to Cincinnati, on the Ohio River. They at once interested themselves in the project, and went to work with Mr. Hosford. They found an old charter bearing date of 1836. This charter was revived on the 15th day of March, 1845, and the road was completed in 1851, and known as the Cleveland, Columbus & Cincinnati Railroad. It is a fact little known that Mr. Hosford never put forth any urgent claims to this honor, and has never made any clamorous demands for recognition in this respect. It is fitting in this place, to give him the credit he deserves, and recognize in him the chief worker in the interests of Galion for this railroad. The success following this enterprise was great; it took Galion from the woods and gave her a highway to the markets of the world. A great boon was this railroad to Galion; her greatest era must date from its completion; the natural growth and prosperity of Galion were immediately advanced; there were no valuable water privileges; there were no rich veins of mineral wealth hidden beneath the soil. Galion had heretofore existed as a mere convenient center for agricultural interests; there was now a road that brought foreign produce and articles of home consumption to their doors, and which took in return the wheat and corn and pork of their own production. For years, Polk and Galion had gone abroad with their products in search of a market. Now there was a reversal of conditions—Galion was now a market, and others came to her to trade. Sandusky, Milan, Monroeville and Mansfield were only casually mentioned, and but few interests remained to call the citizens of Galion to these places. New settlers could reach the township and village with greater ease; goods and household furniture could be brought cheaper than by the long roads with cumbersome wagons across the mountains, through swamps and long reaches of wilderness.
From History of Crawford County and Ohio by Baskin & Battey, Historical Publishers, Chicago, 1881