Galena

Diann Marsh

• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
• Year: 2005
• Print ISBN: 9780738533858
• eBook ISBN: 9781439615287
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: North American History
• Index: History

Meet the pioneer residents, stroll the historic business district and discover the unique architecture of Galena, Illinois! Galena, IL, nestled in the bluffs of the Mississippi River in northwest Illinois, is one of the most historic communities in the region. The townspeople take pride in the rich history of their town, dedicating their time to restoration projects and the booming industry of heritage tourism. Many of the images (c. 1826-1940s) in the book come from the Galena/Jo Daviess Historical Museum that sponsors the project, the Alfred Mueller collection, the Illinois Historic Sites Office and private collections.

One

A STROLL DOWN PARK AVENUE

The young members of a Sunday school class, dressed in their summer’s best, pose on the front lawn of the house at 515 Park Avenue. Elm trees once lined Park Avenue, creating a rich canopy of green. Park Avenue, originally named Second Street, is lined with the homes of Galena’s upper middle class built during the years before the turn of the century. In the late 1820s and 1830s, the street was the site of a few log cabins. Major development began in the 1850s, with a “building boom” taking place in the late 1860s–1880s. In the 1880s and 1890s, approximately a dozen houses in another style, the Queen Anne, added a new look to the neighborhood. When the Craftsman Bungalow gained popularity from 1910–1925, several of the earlier houses were clad in stucco on the exterior and modernized to fit that style. The name was changed to Park Avenue from Second Street when Grant Park was created in 1891. When you think of Park Avenue, think of the many families who spent their lives here. (Photo Mueller Collection.)

PARK AVENUE MAP. The Park Avenue tour starts at the Old Depot, one block off of Route 20, at the east end of the Einsweiler Bridge. Note that the house numbers are in reverse order, with the 700 block at the beginning of the tour, and the 200 block at the north end. As you go north, you will see the East Galena Hall on your left and the Water Works across the street. A short detour, onto Jackson Street, leads to two houses that are listed. The tour takes up again in the 500 block of Park Avenue. Two walking bridges lead to downtown. The bridge from Grant Park leads to Commerce Street and the Post Office, while the Meeker Street Walking Bridge, one block west from Jefferson Street, leads to the north end of the business district.

I.C.R.R. DEPOT: 101 BOUTHILLIER STREET. Constructed at a cost of $8,000 in 1857 for the Illinois Central Railroad, the two-story red brick depot has been restored to its original elegance and is now in use as the visitors’ center and houses the offices of the Chamber of Commerce. Ralph Benson purchased the building for $35,000 in the 1970s, repaired the roof, brick work, and interior, and gave it to the city for just the cost of repairs. (Photo Mueller Collection.)

CHICAGO NORTHWESTERN DEPOT: 100 BOUTHILLIER STREET. Three years ago, this small, vacant building was considered by many to be beyond repair. Along came the Carters, who, recognizing its unique architecture, carefully restored it in 2003. In 1899, Otto Salloman built the building with plans for an elegant restaurant, but ran out of money. He lived upstairs and rented the building to the Chicago Northwestern Railroad depot in 1900. (Photo Marsh Collection.)

EAST GALENA TOWNSHIP HALL: 725 PARK AVENUE. The hall has changed little since it was constructed in 1871 in the Greek Revival style. The Galena Gazette of August 11, 1871 tells us, “A new town hall for East Galena is being erected near the depot. It is brick and a neat and convenient structure. Such an institution (voting center) was badly needed in town.” The recently rejuvenated building is still used primarily as a voting site. (Photo Mueller Collection.)

STROHMEYER’S DOUBLE HOUSE: 719–721 PARK AVENUE. The year 1886 was an exciting one for the Strohmeyer Brothers. They built both this double house and the boot and shoe factory next door. They had only to cross the lawn to get to work each morning. Joseph, who lived in the south half, ran the shoe factory office. Anton, superintendent of the work force, occupied the north half of the duplex. The present owners recently replicated the original front porch and restored the interiors. (Photo Mueller Collection.)

STROHMEYER BROS. BOOT AND SHOE FACTORY: PARK AVENUE AT JOHNSON STREET. In 1890, the bustling Strohmeyer Boot and Shoe Factory, built in 1886, had 30 employees, two-thirds of which were women. The first floor held the office, packing room, sole leather, and finishing rooms, while the second floor was “like a bee hive, with its throng of busy men and women at work on all kinds of footwear.” By 1900, the building had been converted to apartments. (Photo Mueller Collection.)

WATERWORKS BUILDING: 720 PARK AVENUE. Borders of stained glass, in the Eastlake style, add vibrant colors to the windows of the 1886 Galena Waterworks building. The tan brick borders are also Eastlake in character. The date, 1886, and the names of the responsible city officials are inscribed on the front gable. Since 1996, the building has been occupied by the Galena-Jo Daviess Visitors and C...

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Table of Contents
• ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
• FOREWORD
• INTRODUCTION
• One - A STROLL DOWN PARK AVENUE
• Two - VISITING GENERAL GRANT’S NEIGHBORHOOD
• Three - THE VIEW FROM THE LEVEES
• Four - MAIN AND BENCH STREETS GALENA’S HEART
• Five - SPRING STREET (ROUTE 20) REBORN
• Six - QUALITY HILL A SPECTACULAR VIEW FROM PROSPECT
• SOURCES
• INDEX