Travel Guide Girard

One of the first settlers in the area was a Frenchman named Girard, who built a sawmill on the banks of a nearby stream. A community gradually developed, especially with the arrival of the Chicago & Alton Railroad in 1852. The town was incorporated on February 14, 1855. Girard began to grow when the Girard coal mine was developed in 1869. Girard would be home to nine different mines, employing at their peak some 600 men. In 1922, the closing of the mines was a terrible blow to the town. Only one mine remains in operation today. Girard's oldest business was the Deck Pharmacy (1865) which was operated by the family until 2001. Today, the building houses a small cafe, Doc just off 66, which makes a point of preserving its heritage. Route 66, which crosses the city by Madison St, is very pleasant.