In 1832, a new township was formed from land given by the Elk Creek, Fairview, and Springfield Townships.
At the time, Stephen Girard lived in Philadelphia; he was a businessman, banker, and the founder of Girard College. He was thought to be the wealthiest man in the country. Thus, the township was named after him in an attempt to lure him into investing in the town. The early settlements, located in what is now Girard Township, were known as “The Hollow,” “West Girard,” and “The Mouth of Elk Creek.”
The “Settlement on the Hill,” now a borough of Girard, was first settled in 1814. With the completion of the Erie Extension Canal in 1842, Girard grew and incorporated as the “Borough of Girard” in 1846. “Girard Station” was first established in 1850 and was commonly known as “Miles Grove,” “North Girard,” "Dan Rice Town," and now, “Lake City Borough.”
The settlement began as “Miles Grove” with the establishment of a post office in 1862. The name was changed in 1906 to “North Girard,” and incorporated into a borough in 1925. It was later renamed “Lake City Borough” in 1954.
| BOOK ISBN |
9781635000436 |
| FORMAT |
235 x 165 mm |
| BINDING |
Paperback |
| PAGES |
96 pages |
| PUBLICATION DATE |
15 March 2017 |
| TERRITORY |
World |
| ILLUSTRATIONS |
92 black-and-white and 92 colour photographs |
Geoffrey Domowicz is a local historian, author and living history professional who focuses on the French & Indian War and the American Civil War and an historical interpreter at Old Fort Niagara in Youngstown NY. He is the author of Girard, A Canal Town History, and Tattoos: The Stories behind the Ink and countless magazine and newspaper articles. He has collaborated with WQLN Public Television and Main Street Media to help create the following documentaries: Safe Harbor, Eerie Erie, Eerie Erie Two, and Our Town Girard-Lake City, Waldemeer, and Lost Erie. Currently he travels the region providing demonstrations and lectures about those topics.
