Precolonial and colonial history The city is named for
galena, the natural form of
lead sulfide (PbS) and the most important
lead ore.
Native Americans mined the ore for use in burial rituals. The
Havana Hopewell first traded galena in the area during the
Middle Woodland period (c. 1–400 CE). However, the use of galena in the Havana territory is uncertain; very little has been identified in burial mounds. During the
Mississippian period (900–1500 CE), galena saw use as
body paint. In 1658
French explorers, probably via contact with the
Sioux, first noted lead deposits in the
Upper Mississippi Valley. A 1703 French map identified the northwestern Illinois area as
mines de plumb. Northwestern Illinois was inhabited by the Sauk and Meskwaki when the French arrived. However, conflicts with the Sioux prevented large-scale mining until
Julien Dubuque's Mines opened across the river in 1788. The French named the settlement as
La Pointe, and early American settlers adopted this name as "The Point" after the United States acquired the territory in the
Louisiana Purchase of 1803. Early documentation officially records the name as "Fever River" for the wild beans that grew there, an early name for the
Galena River. This name did not appear to be widely used.
George Davenport, a retired
colonel in the
United States Army, successfully shipped Galena's first boatload of lead ore in 1816 down the Mississippi River. Three years later, Jesse W. Shull built a
trading post. The name "Galena" was purportedly proposed during a town meeting that year; rejected names included Jackson, Harrison, and Jo Daviess. After Thomas platted the town, starting in June 1827, settlers could lease plots from the government. The land remained in government possession until the leasing system was eased out in 1836–37. When
Jo Daviess County was founded in 1827, Galena was named its county seat. This established the first courts in Galena; previous legal proceedings were heard in front of the Superintendent of Lead Mines. 21 million pounds of lead were mined in Galena from 1825 to 1828, and the population skyrocketed in that time from 200 to 10,000. Local native tribes, then mostly Meskwaki and Ho-Chunk, permitted settlers to mine in established areas in Galena. However, the growth of the city led settlers to encroach on native land claims, as they sought new veins of lead. Following a murder of a pioneer family near
Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, by the Winnebago, Galena closed its mines for safety and European-American residents prepared for war. They constructed forts at nearby
Elizabeth and
Apple River; although these were not used during the conflict, the forts provided residents with security and protection. The ensuing
Winnebago War was little more than a skirmish, but as a result, the US annexed more lands near the city in the resulting 1829
Treaty of Prairie du Chien which they forced on the Winnebago. A meeting of townspeople on February 1, 1830, established the first fire department. At a town meeting at the county courthouse on September 7, 1835, sixty-five residents approved a motion for incorporation as a town. Eight days later, five individuals were elected as the first trustees. Incorporation was approved by the county board of trustees on October 2, and the first meeting of trustees occurred the next day. The 15th Illinois General Assembly (1836–37) codified the trustee election process. A steamboat was selected as the town seal on May 22, 1837. A state law governing local jurisdictions resulted in the town holding its first elections for mayor and aldermen on May 24, 1841, to replace the board of trustees.
Charles S. Hempstead was elected the first mayor, with 185 of the 356 votes cast. The first US census of the town was also held that year, recording 1,900 inhabitants. Hempstead would serve until 1845. of Galena area with the location of key mines noted
Indigenous peoples of the Americas traded galena with French traders as early as 1692.
Julien Dubuque mined the ore in Iowa from 1788 until 1810. From 1807 until 1834, the United States government controlled leases, after which the lands were put up for sale. In 1839,
David Dale Owen made a geologic survey of the region. The
Ordovician Galena limestone contained most of the galena ore, and peak productivity occurred between 1840 and 1850. By 1845 Galena was producing nearly 27,000
tons of lead ore annually, and Jo Daviess County was producing 80 percent of the lead in the United States. with pollutants from Galena's industry found as far away as
Lake Matoaka in
Tidewater Virginia. Once one of the most important cities in the state, Galena was a hub on the
Mississippi River between
St. Louis and
Saint Paul. Due to erosion, the
Galena River is now inaccessible to steamboats. The first railroad built in Chicago, the
Galena and Chicago Union Railroad, was intended to join the two cities but construction ended in 1853 at
Freeport. Trackage between Freeport and Galena was completed by the
Illinois Central Railroad in 1854, and later extended west to
Dubuque,
Sioux City, and
Council Bluffs. Galena received national attention in the 1860s as the home of
Ulysses S. Grant.
Decline Following a sharp decline in the demand for lead (which had been the city's chief income source during the early 19th century), Galena's population has dropped from 14,000 in the mid-19th century, to 3,396 in the early 21st century.
Today Galena's official
flag was adopted in 1976 to symbolize
mining,
agriculture,
steamboats, and the nine
American Civil War generals who lived in the city. Until the late 1980s, Galena was a small rural farming community. In 1990, local industries included a
Kraft Foods cheese plant, Lemfco Foundry, John Westwick's foundry, and Microswitch, Inc. In the 1980s, Galena Mayor Frank Einsweiler initiated a tourist campaign. Since that time Galena's business district has emphasized its historic assets in the face of suburban development. Such long-standing businesses in the downtown area, including Stair's Grocery, Sullivan's Grocery, Clingman's Pharmacy, the oldest continuously operating pharmacy in Illinois, and
Hartig Drug, closed their downtown locations. Clingman's and Hartig's relocated to the outskirts of Galena, while Stair's and Sullivan's closed their doors permanently because of competition. In late 2010, Clingman's joined the Hartig's family and moved their pharmacy to Hartig's Drugs location along Highway 20. The Country Fair in Grant Park has been an attraction that has helped increase tourist traffic to Galena as a destination. It is a craft show that attracts thousands of visitors to the area. The once boarded-up Main Street buildings have been renovated since the late 20th century. In 2010, Galena started a campaign called Vision2020, modeled after neighbor
Dubuque, Iowa's Vision 2010. A committee worked on outreach efforts with the community to form a vision of what residents wanted Galena to focus on for the next decade: five major concepts have been supported. In 2010, the 32nd annual Halloween Parade attendance was estimated at 15,000. In 2011,
TripAdvisor listed Galena among its top-ten "Charming Small Towns". ==Geography==