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    Galena
    Galena
    Galena
    Ebook194 pages1 hour

    Galena

    By Diann Marsh

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    About this ebook

    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.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherArcadia Publishing
    Release dateJun 15, 2005
    ISBN9781439615287
    Galena
    Author

    Diann Marsh

    Diann Marsh has loved historic buildings and houses all of her adult life. Her previous Galena book featured over 170 photos and histories of local buildings. She is a member of the Spirits, the support group of the Galena, Jo Daviess County Museum, where she served as president and is on the board. She was a founder of the Galena Cultural Arts Alliance and an active member of the Galena Artists Guild. She belongs to the Backyard Garden Club, the Old House Enthusiasts of Dubuque, Grace Episcopal Church and the Vision 2020 Museum Committee. Marsh was involved in the historic preservation field for more than twenty-three years. She surveyed and documented over ten thousand buildings and placed more than four hundred buildings and districts on the National Register of Historic Places. She was a guest speaker for nonprofit organizations, libraries and historical societies, talking about historic architecture and the restoration and rehabilitation of historic buildings. For the last eleven years, Marsh and her husband have lived in and have been restoring an 1870 home on Park Avenue in Galena.

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      Book preview

      Galena - Diann Marsh

      Museum

      INTRODUCTION

      Every house has a special story to tell—if only we will listen. Memories of the houses in which we were born and/or raised remain with us forever. It may have been the place where your mother cooked your favorite dishes and taught you how to sew. Perhaps your father helped you build a special tree house and held onto the seat while you learned to ride your first bike. The family gathered around the piano to sing Christmas carols or the latest musical favorites and your best friend lived down the block. Sometimes the stories were sad, like when a favorite relative died or you broke your arm while trying out your new skates on the driveway.

      This is not a book that emphasizes architectural styles, although the size, massing, materials, and design of each house often tell us much about the people who lived there. In this book, architecture is usually mentioned as part of a larger history.

      Galena’s first permanent homes were log cabins and miners’ cottages. Many still exist along the streets, particularly on the west side, between Gear and Franklin streets. Even though they are usually small, they are strong and proud and made of sturdy brick. Most have been restored into cozy homes, but a few are boarded up, in need of repair, and others have disappeared altogether. Some of the miners had large families, while others were bachelors.

      Visitors notice the mansions, usually made of brick and resplendent with ornate wood trim. These mansions were a badge of success for their often newly wealthy owners. Among them were steamboat captains and owners, builders, bankers, wholesale grocers, jewelers, and capitalists. Such houses required several servants, including stablemen, to keep them running.

      Then there are the houses in between. Attractive and eye-catching, they were built in styles from the early Greek Revival and Italianate through the later Queen Anne, Craftsman and Colonial Revival. The individual character of each house is exhibited in the rich panorama of styles you see as you walk along each street. These homes have their own special stories to tell and provide fond memories to the families who lived there.

      By the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, many of Galena’s buildings and homes were in a sorry state. Ralph Benson remembers that when he returned after World War II, many of Galena’s buildings were in need of major repair. These homes and buildings have been brought back to life one by one.

      The historic preservation movement began in Galena when a handful of local men and women realized the significance of the town’s historic buildings. The local historic district and Historic Advisory Board were established by an innovative ordinance in 1965. The district was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1969. We are now seeing the results of those far-thinking ideas. Galena is sometimes called the town that time forgot, creating the ideal situation for successful historic preservation activities.

      You will see houses that are so much more than brick, mortar, and wood. They are the reminders of the souls who were born, lived, and died within their walls, remembering both the happy and sad times. We hope you will enjoy your peek into Galena’s family homes and tuck them away in your memory.

      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

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