As part of the Northwest Territory, the land encompassing Grove City served as payment to war heroes Gen. Daniel Morgan and Col. William Washington, a distant relative of George Washington, for their Revolutionary War service. They in turn sold this land, and in 1803, the region's first pioneers, Hugh Grant and his wife, Catherine Barr, settled close to what is now downtown Grove City. In 1852, Grove City founder William F. Breck laid out the town plat and helped incorporate the village in 1856. Grove City remained a small farming village throughout the 19th and much of the 20th century, despite its proximity to the fast-growing capital city of Columbus. While the beginning of the 21st century has brought dramatic growth, Grove City continues to hold on to its vibrant, small-town character through its Roaring Twenties-era Thoroughbred racetrack, its picturesque town center, and the numerous educational activities hosted by the Southwest Franklin County Historical Society.