Granville was officially platted in 1836 by John Gregory, David Shideler, and Peter Thomas after being promoted by its boosters as an ideal location for the Delaware County seat. It succeeded Georgeville, which had been platted a short distance up the Mississinewa River about four years earlier but did not survive competition with Granville. For many years Granville was an important trading site, but its importance waned in the latter half of the nineteenth century as railroad lines gave the advantage to nearby Eaton and Albany.