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| Stylized sketch of the Big Four Depot in Galion, Ohio |
Few buildings say "Galion" like the Big Four Depot on North Washington Street. It has stood through more than a century of change, from the busiest days of the railroad to the quiet decades since.
A Brief History of the Big Four Depot
The depot was dedicated on December 27, 1900, and served as division headquarters for the Cleveland, Chicago, Cincinnati, and St. Louis Railroad, commonly called the Big Four. Passenger traffic peaked during and after World War I, when 32 trains stopped here every day, and Railway Express handled as many as 20 trains a day into the 1950s.
Galion was also a whistle stop for presidential campaigns, with speeches from the train platform by Al Smith in 1928, Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932, and Dwight D. Eisenhower and Richard Nixon in 1952.
Free Big Four Depot Coloring Page
To celebrate Galion's railroad heritage, I made a free printable coloring page to share here on Galionite: a steam locomotive at the platform, travelers with their trunks, and an early motorcar waiting out front. It's an imagined scene inspired by Galion's locomotive heritage rather than an exact copy of the depot, and it's meant for colored pencils or crayons.
Galion's Railroad Heritage at a Glance
- 1900: The depot is dedicated as a division headquarters.
- World War I era: Traffic peaks at 32 trains daily.
- 1929: The New York Central acquires the Big Four and moves the division headquarters to Bellefontaine.
- 1964: The ticket office closes.
- 1969: All railroad offices close.
- 1974: The depot is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 2000: The City of Galion acquires the building.
- 2015: Galion Depot, Inc. is established to preserve, restore and rehabilitate the depot and share local history.
Preserving the Depot Today
The Big Four Depot is one of the few remaining Big Four division headquarters stations in Ohio and the nation. Local groups, including Galion Depot, Inc. and the Friends of the Galion Big Four Depot, have worked to preserve it, including building a pavilion on the grounds for community events. In September 2026, the Friends held a free history open house for the depot's 125th anniversary, with tours, displays and train trivia.
For the latest news and events, follow the Friends of the Galion Big Four Depot on Facebook.
Download the free Big Four Depot coloring page (PDF)
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| Click the image to download the free, printable PDF of this coloring page. |
Print it for kids, grandkids, or your own quiet afternoon. If you have stories or photos of Galion's railroad days, we'd love to hear them.
Sources: Ohio Historical Marker 9-17 (Big Four Depot); National Register of Historic Places; Galion Depot, Inc.; Friends of the Galion Big Four Depot.