What happened? Galena had been the
original boom town, growing by leaps and bounds. The town
was the envy of the Northwest Territory. It was the lead
mining that had started it all. By 1845, over 80% of the
nation's lead moved through Galena, most of it to waiting
steamboats for the journey to St. Louis and beyond. At the
head of the navigation on the Fever (now Galena) River--just a
few miles from the Mississippi--the town was ideally
located. No other river port was closer to the mines and
smelters. Through shrewd business practices, Galena's
merchants and movers monopolized the trade on the Upper
Mississippi River. Their control extended well beyond
lead. Alliances with St. Louis interests and majority
control of the largest steamboat line on the Upper Mississippi
River made Galena a wealthy town. Retail and wholesale
activity was rampant. Settlers moving into Wisconsin,
Iowa, and Minnesota depended on Galena's mercantile interests to
survive. By 1850, lead had become only one part of a
large, complex commercial center. As Galena's star rose,
accumulated wealth was transformed into elegant mansions and
substantial commercial buildings. By the mid-1850s
Galena's lead production was down, but business activity overall
was increasing. The future still looked good. But the
seeds of demise had already been sown, for in a few short years
Galena would suffer relative decline and neglect. The
buildings stayed, but the businesses did not. What
happened? Today we can identify six major reasons. 1.
River siltation: The
Galena River was never well suited to navigation. Severe
erosion and siltation caused by mining and agricultural
activities made a bad situation worse. Periodic efforts at
dredging were ineffective. 2.
Coming of the railroad: With
the coming of the Illinois Central Railroad in 1854, Galena no
longer had a captive market. Suddenly any town along the
line could handle trade and traffic that formerly had to go
through Galena. The town fathers, tied economically, if
not intellectually, to the river trade, underestimated the
impact of the railroad. In 1855, the railroad extended to
the Mississippi, effectively eroding Galena's economy. 3.
Low lead prices and reduced production: While
prices fluctuated, the output of lead from the district
declined. The better deposits had been worked; the leasing
system was abandoned, and production was becoming more capital
intensive. Increased production in the Missouri mines and
importation from England helped keep prices uncertain. 4.
Panic of 1857: A
nationwide depression that hurt many towns almost crippled
Galena. Economic over-extension and increasing competition
caused a severe recession that lasted beyond the Civil
War. The assessed valuation for the city dropped by more
than 75% between 1857 and 1867. Municipal bond-holders
were asked to take 25 cents on the dollar. 5.
Civil War: The war
disrupted Galena's existing trade patterns. Largely tied
to the Mississippi River and the north-south trade routes of St.
Louis and New Orleans, Galena's wholesale trade was isolated
with the blockade of the river. Chicago and the railroads,
representative of stronger East-West trade patterns, picked up
the slack, undercutting Galena mercantile interests in the
process. 6.
City politics: Too
much faith in the status quo and an increasing polarization
between Republicans and Democrats lead to a weakened city
government. Leadership and direction were not adequate for
addressing the problems confronting the city. As
the years passed, Galena recovered somewhat. But it was no
longer the busy regional trade center that it had once
been. As a result, building activity slowed, and few
structures were torn down. People simply made do. Today
we are glad that continued progress passed Galena by.
Because of a twist of fate, an architectural treasure has come
down to us--ready, with a little polishing, to be as valuable to
us as to those who built it.
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