Galena, Illinois


Country United States
State Illinois
County Jo Daviess
Township Unknown

Elevation 633 ft (193 m)
Coordinates 42°25′05″N 90°25′53″W / 42.41806, -90.43139

Area 3.7 sq mi (10 km²)
- land 3.7 sq mi (10 km²)
- water 0.0 sq mi (0 km²)

Population 3,460 (2000)
Density 926.4 /sq mi (358 /km²)

Settled 1690s (French)[1]
- Founded 1826[3]
- Chartered 1841[3]
Mayor Tom F. Brusch[2]

Timezone CST (UTC-6)
- summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5)
Postal code 61036
Area code 815



Galena is the largest city in, and county seat of, Jo Daviess County, Illinois in the United States with an estimated population of 3,396 in 2006. The city is a popular tourist destination known for its history, historical architecture, as well as its ski and golf resorts. Galena was the home to Ulysses S. Grant, several other war generals, entertainers and politicians.

History
Galena has a rich history which is still visible in the city's architecture. Originally it was inhabitated 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 3,396, 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.


People

Ulysses Grant
Edward BakerUlysses 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.


In the 1980s a tourist campaign was strongly endorced by then mayor Frank Einsweiler. Since that time the face of Galena has changed a great deal. Long standing businesses in the downtown area including Stair's Grocery, Sullivan's Grocery, Clingman's Pharmacy, and Hartig's Drugs have closed downtown location. Clingman's and Hartig's have relocated to locations on the outskirts of Galena while Stair's and Sullivan's closed their doors for good.


Geography
Galena is located at 42°25′5″N, 90°25′53″W (42.418171, -90.431472). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.7 square miles (9.7 km²). Galena is situated along the Galena River, which is one of many tributaries of the Mississippi River.

Galena is located in the Driftless Zone, an area that was not covered by glaciers during the recent ice ages.This area, which includes the far northwestern corner of the state of Illinois, escaped glaciation, even while almost the entire state was glaciated, nearly to its southern tip.Because it escaped glaciation, this area is known for its hills, valleys, bluffs and large amounts of exposed rock.


Floods

Floodgates in downtown GalenaDue 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.