History of Galena, Illinois

Galena has a rich history which is still visible in the city's architecture. Originally it was inhabited by Native Americans in the Sac and Fox Nation. By the late 17th century French people began to settle in the area and in the early 19th century American settlers arrived. Following a sharp decline in the demand for lead, Galena's population dropped from 14,000, where it was in mid 19th century, to only 3,405, where it is in the early 21st century.

Lead Mining

The city is named for the mineral galena. It is the natural mineral form of lead sulfide and the most important lead ore mineral. Native Americans, including the Sac and Fox tribes, mined the ore in Galena for use as body painting. In the 1690s French trappers discovered the area and also began mining the lead.

Within a few centuries American settlers arrived in the area. George Davenport, a retired colonel in the United States Army, successfully shipped Galena's first boatload of lead ore down the Mississippi River in 1816. Three years later a trading post was built in Galena which led to the first steamboat arriving in 1824. By 1845 Galena was producing nearly 27,000 tons of lead ore. At that time Jo Daviess County was producing eighty-percent of the lead in the United States.

Floods

Due to the city's proximity to the Galena River, buildings have been threatened on numerous occasions by flooding. Galena's Congressman Leo E. Allen helped acquire funding for city floodgates which were added in 1951. The following were significant, recorded floods:

Galena's first recorded flood was in 1828. Water was high enough to allow steamboats to travel on city streets.
In 1937, a large flood inundated Main Street with up to five feet of water causing serious damage to downtown buildings.
Almost eight feet of water threatened downtown Galena in 1993, but was stopped by the city's floodgates. Late spring season rainfall led the Mississippi and Galena Rivers to their highest recorded levels.

People

Ulysses S. Grant, the future American Civil War general and 18th U.S. President, lived in Galena for several years working as an assistant in his father and brother's leather shop. Today the Grant home is a popular tourist attraction. Elihu B. Washburne, Grant's Secretary of State and an opponent of slavery in the United States, was also a resident and attorney in Galena. By the end of the American Civil War, the count of generals from Galena reached nine: Grant; Augustus Louis Chetlain; John Oliver Duer; Jasper Adalmorn Maltby; Ely Samuel Parker; John Aaron Rawlins; William Rueben Rowley; John Corson Smith; and John Eugene Smith. Galena was also briefly represented in Congress by Edward Dickinson Baker, who would later be the only U.S. Senator to fall in battle. Other noted people who were born in or lived in Galena include Grant's son Frederick Dent Grant, explorer Frederick Schwatka, radio host Don McNeill, writer Herman Melville, Wyoming Governor William A. Richards, and Iowa Governor John H. Gear.

Present Day

Galena is a very popular tourist destination hosting well over one million visitors each year. Galena is also popular with Chicagoans, many of whom keep second homes in the area.

Cityscape

Eighty-five percent of the structures in Galena are listed on the National Register of Historic Places which greatly contributes to the city's popularity. The Old Market House State Historic Site, built in 1845, is a museum of local social history. Main Street in downtown Galena has a large number of specialty shops and restaurants and is home to the Galena Cellars winery. Galena's Saint Michael's Church was founded by the pioneer priest Father Samuel Mazzuchelli. The church is named after one of the three Archangels. Opened in 1855, the downtown Desoto House Hotel, is the oldest operating hotel in Illinois. There are also several resorts and golf courses located in and around Galena including the Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa and the Chestnut Mountain Ski Resort.

Galena Territory

The Galena Territory is a private 6,800 acre development located several miles southeast of downtown Galena. The territory, which is managed by a homeowners association, has set aside 1,500 acres of protected recreational land. The remainder is filled with low-density residential development and the Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa. The resort is best known for its 63 holes of championship golf.