Plumbing Galena's Rich Past

In the mid-19th century, the industrial needs of the United States, galvanized by the Civil War, created a high demand for the lead held in abundance in the hills surrounding Galena, Illinois.  In the peak year of 1845, the Galena mining district produced almost 85% of the nation's lead.

Tim on the steps of The Belvedere Mansion

Mining that lead, which was easily shipped down the nearby Mississippi, funded the red-brick mansions built by Galena's early residents.  Then the lead ran out, railroads replaced rivers as the primary mode of transportation and Galena lost its prominence.

The Ryan Mansion

Sunk into a poverty-stricken funk, many of the town's residents relocated to more prosperous places.  When they left, no one bothered to tear down the town's abandoned buildings.  That, of course, turned out to be the town's salvation!

Galena's Fire Department established in 1830

Artists and others looking for an idyllic spot drifted back to Galena in the 1960s and began restoring its Greek Revival, Italianate and Victorian structures.

The 1858 Barrows Mansion is now the Galena History Museum

So much of Galena's original architecture remains that over 85% of the community is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

First United Methodist Church of Galena

The First United Methodist Church of Galena was built in 1856 and dedicated the following year.  This is the church that Ulysses S. Grant and his family attended.  Its twelve lovely stained glass windows were donated by various members of the congregation.

The Belvedere Mansion

Since our stay in Galena was short, we had time to tour only one historic mansion.  We chose the Belvedere, a mansion built in 1857 by Joseph Russell Jones, secretary-treasurer of the Galena & Minnesota Steamboat Packet Line.  Mr. Jones used his home to lavishly entertain his shipping clients from back east as well as Europe.

The Belvedere's front courtyard

Jones was an enterprising businessman who saw an opportunity to use his friendship with a fellow Galena resident, Ulysses S. Grant, to increase his shipping company.  During the Civil War when cotton was scarce in the northern states due to wartime restrictions, Jones appealed to Grant for the necessary safe-conduct passes to obtain cotton; then, shipped it north, a very profitable venture.

The Belvedere's west garden

At the time the Belvedere was built, the Mississippi River flowed past its gardens, but over time the river's course has eroded to the west.  

The Belvedere's east garden

This 22-room Italianate mansion with its priceless antique furnishings is truly an incredible sight.

Entry of the Belvedere Mansion

It's a sight that my mother-in-law Norma and I thoroughly enjoyed!

Cindy and Norma Jacobson