Early history and settling In 1874,
gold was discovered in the Black Hills and drew
settlers to the area. The mines in the area were originally intended to be
gold mines, but other metals were more plentiful in the hills. Most of the gold was found in trace amounts, while
silver and
lead ore were the most common metals in the area. a large number of people began to settle in the gulch where Galena was built and filed the first
mining claims; most of these evolved into
silver mines. A few of these first mines were called the Sitting Bull, Florence, Merritt, El Refugio, Emma, and Cora. At the summits of the surrounding hills,
shaft mines were drilled, while further down the cliff, miners built
tunnels. In September 1876, the Florence claim was bought by Robert Florman. This school, like others of its time, only ran for three months out of the year. One of the residents became well known in the area for his pet coyote named Tootsie. and the railroad took up its tracks in 1929. In 1940, another mining company, the Gilt Edge Mines, came through and revived the town. The school closed in summer 1943. A few families live in Galena, and there are a few vacation homes. The Galena Historical Society holds an annual Galena open house and walk, which opens up historical buildings on private property to visitors, including the schoolhouse. ==Geography==