You Know You’re in a Small Town

Galva was established as a Swedish Railroad Town, located near Bishop Hill, a historical Swedish communal town that brings in dignitaries like the King of Sweden for special events. It is like a lot of small towns that I visit. People are friendly. They pitch in when needed and care for each other.

To show the special spirit of a town like Galva I could have written about the two devastating tornadoes that they’ve had in the past ten years, the latest of which in 2003 resulted in over 6,000 truckloads of brush being hauled away in a two week period. I could have written about how Galva has four big parks, totaling over 50 acres, probably more park land/capita than most towns. Or I could have reported on how the town welcomed back their 120 unit National Guard unit from Iraq earlier this year.

But, the one thing that really impressed me when I visited Galva was a very small bakery on the main street. Jacobson Bakery started in Galva in the 1930s as a wholesale bakery selling to area stores. It specialized in rusks, a Swedish hard toast sweetbread. They bake their breads, coffeecakes and rusks early in the morning. Then for the rest of the day the front door is open for customers to pick up their baked goods, leaving money in the cash box under the counter. Check out how they explain it on the sign under the counter.

It could only happen in a town like Galva. I hope to get back to visit soon.