Galva Kansas.

History of Galva Kansas, 1883.

 

The town of Galva was laid out on the southeast quarter of Section 21, and the southwest quarter of Section 22, Township 19, Range 2 west, on land belonging to the Marion & McPherson Railroad Company, in September 1879. It now contains nearly 100 people, several general stores, one drug store, one hotel, one lumber yard, a hotel and a livery stable. A good district school flourishes, and the educational advantages of the community are further increased by the 'Central Kansas Congregational Academy.' This institution was chartered in January, 1880, a building being erected, 18X32 feet, two stories high. It cost $1,000, and was completed during the summer. The founder of the Academy was Rev. B. F. Haskins. Its present principal is Rev. A. J. Umholtz; attendance, twenty-five. Galva station is quite a shipping point for grain and live stock. During the four months from July to November, inclusive, 393 cars of wheat where shipped from the station; two cars of broomcorn, etc. Good stock yards have been constructed, and, all in all, Galva is quite a promising point.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES - EMPIRE TOWNSHIP, 1883.

http://www.kancoll.org/books/cutler/mcpherson/mcpherson-co-p6.html#GALVA

 

Empire Kansas & Galva Kansas History.

 

 

The town of Galva was incorporated in 1887, even though it was the site of a railroad camp in the 1870's. The building on Second & Main is the only original building left. At one time it had two stories and even had a skating rink on top. The buildings on the west side of the 200 block of Main were all replaced after the fire of 1930 destroyed the entire block.

Galva is the successor of the town of Empire which was located a couple of miles southeast of the current site of Galva. As early as 1823, the junction of the Santa Fe Trail and the California Road served as a regular stop for the wagon trains and travelers heading west. In 1855, Charles Fuller built a "ranch" just west of Turkey Creek which was the first white settlement in the county.

In 1875 Joseph J. Colby constructed the first permanent residence which was the beginning of Empire. Any hope for a prosperous future for Empire was shattered when a branch of the AT&SF railroad was completed September 23, 1879, passing north of Empire through the present site of Galva. It didn't take long for the residents of Empire to move their buildings north to the tracks. By 1880, even the post office was closed. The beginning of Galva meant the end of Empire, a town that ran its whole course of history in under ten years.  Empire first post master was Joseph J. Colby.

 

Galva Post Office.

 

Galva post office open October 1, 1879 and ran to ?  Alexander G. Robb, was first post master.

 

History of Galva Kansas, 1884.

 

Push to enlarge

 

 

McPherson County

Empite Township, 1884.

http://www.kansasmemory.org/item/223998/page/30

 

On the county map Galva can br found in Township 19-South and Range-2-West.  On the township map Galva can be found in sections 21 & 22.

 

Business men who used Galva as their P. O. address as of 1884.

 

W. S. Allen, Farmer and Stock Raiser, from New York, came to county 1873.

 

John A Brown, Grain Dealer, from Canada, came to county 1879.

 

J. J. Barnes, Farmer, from Missouri, came to county 1873.

 

G. H. Canfield, Farmer, from Pennsylvania, came to county 1880.

 

Loren L. Cramer, Farmer, from Illinois, came to county 1871.

 

M. M. Cogshall, Farmer, from Ohio, came to county 1872.

 

W. A. Cramer, Farmer, from Illinois, came to county 1872.

 

E. A. Dodge, Propr. "Galva House", from Pennsylvania, came to county 1872.

 

C. Drum, Farmer and Stock Raiser, from Illinois, came to county 1871.

 

W. G. Doughty, Merchant Miller, from Kentucky, came to county 1872.

 

Jacob J. Funk, Grain Dealer, from Russia, came to county 1883.

 

G. E. Foster, Farmer, from Maine, came to county 1873.

 

B. A. Gray, Merchant, from Tennessee, came to county 1875.

 

John Giffin, Farmer and Stock Raiser, from Iowa, came to county 1873.

 

F. J. Gateka, Farmer and Stock Raiser, from Germany, came to county 1874.

 

B. G. Horton, Merchant Miller, from New York, came to county 1872.

 

G. F. Haskins, Liveryman, from Iowa, came to county 1877.

 

F. E. Haskins, Liveryman, from Illinois, came to county 1877.

 

J. A. Hutton, Farmer, from Iowa, came to county 1872.

 

Ira E. Hawver, Farmer, from Indiana, came to county 1883.

 

D. C. Hawn, Farmer and Broom Manfr., from New York, came to county 1873.

 

D. A. Hill, Farmer and Plaster, from Maryland, came to county 1878.

 

W. P. McGill, Merchant, from Tennessee, came to county 1879.

 

W. M. Maddox, Farmer, from Ohio, came to county 1872.

 

J. B. Morse, Sr., Farmer, from New York, came to county 1873.

 

Joseph Meek, Farmer and Township Trustee, from Ohio, came to county 1873.

 

N. A. McGill, Farmer, from Tennessee, came to county 1878.

 

N. B. Priddy, Farmer, from West Virginia, came to county 1873.

 

Alex. G. Robb, Merchant, from Pennsylvania, came to county 1879.

 

John Richey, Farmer and Stock Raiser, from Ohio, came to county 1872.

 

James B. Robertson, Farmer and Stock Raiser, from Scotland, came to county 1873.

 

Joseph Shirk, Farmer and Carpenter, from Pennsylvania, came to county 1875.

 

E. T. Stout, Farmer and Stock Raiser, from Indiana, came to county 1872.

 

F. P. Sturgeon, Farmer and Painter, from Illinois, came to county 1880.

 

J. W. Wallace, Farmer, from Tennessee, came to county 1872.

 

Isaac Walker, Farmer and Nurseryman, from Pennsylvania, came to county 1878.

 

T. F. Wiles, Merchant, from Ohio, came to county 1872.

 

R. Williams, Farmer, from West Virginia, came to county 1873.

 

Galva Kansas 1912.

 

Galva, one of the thriving little cities of McPherson county, is located in Empire township 8 miles east of McPherson, the county seat. It is well equipped with railroads, having the main line of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific, and the Florence & Ellinwood branch of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe. It is the receiving and shipping point for a large and prosperous farming district; is supplied with a bank, telegraph and express offices, and a money order postoffice with three rural routes. The population, according to the census of 1910, was 322. Galva was laid out in 1879 on lands belonging to the Marion & McPherson Railroad company. Good stock yards were constructed and a number of general stores opened. In 1880 the "Central Kansas Congregational Academy" was chartered and a building was erected at Galva at a cost of $1,000. Galva has always been prosperous, and is at present a city of the third class.