New York native Dr. Obed Harvey came to California to seek his fortune in the Gold Rush. Like so many others, he turned to farming the great Central Valley. With the help of the Central Pacific Railroad, Dr. Harvey established a town around the railroad that ran through his property. His friend John McFarland, a rancher, chose the name Galt after his boyhood home in Canada. Over the years, unique businesses like the Sego Milk Plant and the Galt Winery came and went. The citizens celebrated the Fourth of July with parades and attended the Sacramento County Fair, held in town. Still a farming community with a small-town atmosphere, Galt is noted for Spaans Cookie Co., McFarland Living History Ranch, and the Rae House Museum.