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Galena______________________________ Calendar of Events For a detailed list of what's happening in Galena visit galena.org History Galena, a beautiful little river town, lies on the Galena River, a tributary of the Mississippi River in Northwest Illinois. Native Americans called this area "manitoomie" which means God's country. Prior to the arrival of settlers, Native Americans were mining lead on the Galena River. The name Galena comes from the Latin word for lead sulfide. In 1816, Colonel George Davenport shipped the first boatload of lead ore out of Galena and down the Mississippi River. Galena's first trading post was built in 1819 and four years later the first steamboat arrived. By 1829 Galena was in the midst of the United State's largest mineral rush. Lead ore production peaked in 1845 with 54 million pounds. More than 80% of the nation's total lead was coming from Jo Daviess County. Galena became the center of steamboat trade in the upper Mississippi River region. The economy flourished and the population reached 14,000 in the 1850's. A series of fires during the late 1850's prompted officials to order that all new buildings be constructed of brick or stone. A multitude of architectural masterpieces exist in Galena today as a result of this order and the prosperous economy. When trains replaced steamboats, Galena became the town that time forgot. The river silted up and at the turn of the century, Galena became a quiet little town. During the 1960's Galena was rediscovered and restoration began. By 1969, more than 85% of the city was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Today Galena can be described as one of the United States' most attractive river towns. With its dazzling display of architecture located on terraced hillsides, this historic and picturesque town is a page from the past. Galena provides a multitude of bed and breakfasts, some of the finest antiques in the Midwest, and a wealth of early American history. QuincyNet Home Copyright© 2000 - 2009 by QuincyNet, a division of HCW Ltd. All Rights Reserved