MICHIGAN SMALL TOWN: Galien, in Berrien County

Little-known villages or towns in Michigan don't have to be haunted or ghost towns...many times, these little out-of-the-way places are just plain cool to visit.

Take for example, the town of Galien in Barrien County, 4 miles north of the Indiana state border The downtown area has a bunch of old historic buildings that makes you feel as if you've stepped back in time.

Pennsylvania-born George Blakeslee came to Michigan in 1853 and platted the town in 1861 along the Michigan Central Railroad. George opened up a general store and built a sawmill which were huge additions to the growth of Galien.

Along with the sawmill and general store, the town had the usual establishments: blacksmith, livery stable, saloons, hotel, post office, churches, schoolhouse, hardware store, restaurants and several other shops.

A couple of fires in 1971 wiped out a good chunk of downtown's east side, but thankfully the majority of downtown survived, making a trip through Galien enjoyable for any one on a Michigan roadtrip.

Small town cafe's are always a treat to visit for a bite of delicious hometown cookin' and snackin'. Try one in Galien.

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