Located at the southwest corner of the Public Square, these three brick buildings are the most important of Galion's early commercial buildings. They are all that remain of Galion's past commercial boom which came during the 1860's when numerous railroads crossed through Galion and the town prospered from their commercial buildings and hostels were built. 

In 1851 Joel and David Riblet opened a dry goods store at the southwest corner of the Public Square. In 1852 Brown and McMillan leased the building and opened an hotel called the Western House. In subsequent years the inn was known as the Riblet House. When the building was enlarged in 1869, at the height of the railroad prosperity, its name was changed to the Central Hotel. Proprietors at that date are listed as Cherry and Pomphrey. The hotel was said to have 66 sleeping rooms, three large sample rooms, and a 60 seat dining room. It re-opened in 1941 as the Hotel Talbott. It was purchased by the Ritchey family in 1963. 

 

Additional historical notes are associated with the hotel. Documentation at Milan, Ohio (birthplace of Thomas Edison) states that Thomas Edison was once a guest. Alexander Graham Bell is reported to have tested telephone equipment by running a line from room 201 to the old Maccabee building, now the site of the First National Bank, and hired high school students at a nickel apiece to test sound transmissions. They hoped to prove with the softer voices of children that sound did indeed travel through the lines and wasn't simple carried by its volume. 

 

The Zimmerman Building was built in 1874. Daniel Zimmerman had to acquire the right to use the west wall of the Central Hotel. Investigation eventually showed that the 1869 addition of the hotel was a portion of Zimmerman's property, so permission was granted to Zimmerman to use the west wall of the hotel. The building was owned by the Zimmerman family until 1922. It was sold to the Odd Fellows Lodge in 1928. The Odd Fellows sold the building in 1940. 

The Hackedorn Building was completed in 1865 by NE Hackedorn and remained in the same family until 1952. A drug store has been operated in the corner store since 1865. Quay Drug Store now occupies the entire ground floor. The Western Union office was located here for many years and a union hall occupied the third floor until recently.

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