- "Galena" is Latin for lead sulfide.
- In the peak year of 1845, the mining district, with Galena
as its hub, produced almost 85% of the nation's lead.
- The "Lead Rush" preceded the California
"Gold Rush" by 20 years.
- Galena claimed 9 residents who reached the rank of General
for service rendered during the Civil War.
- Ulysses S. Grant, Galena's most famous citizen, moved to
town in 1860, one year before the outbreak of the Civil War.
- So much of Galena's original architecture remains that
over 85% of the community is listed in the National Register
of Historic Places.
How Many
Galenas are there?
Galena, Illinois is
probably the most famous, but there are many others, most named
after the mineral. Long-time historical society member Ed
Ganshirt has been collecting Galenas. Here's a sampling of
what he has found.
Alaska
The town is on the
north bank of the Yukon River, 270 miles west of
Fairbanks. The population is 550 and the town is
accessible by air year round and by river between May and
September. The Air Force has recently reduced the size of the
air base, but some new housing developments are being built.
Arizona
it was a village in
the mining area that is now the city of Bisbee and was probably
named after a railroad siding that served some of the mines in
the area. Bisbee is in the southeast part of the state and
is made up of several villages that were copper mining
areas. What was Galena is bounded by Highway 82, School
Terrace Road, and Bisbee Road.
Arkansas
Only the cemetery
exists at this time. The peak population of 75 was reached
circa 1900. It is in Howard County in the southwest part
of the state.
Colorado
There are at least
three Galena areas in Colorado. Galena or Camp Galena is
in Fremont County a few miles south of Canon City. All
that remains is an old log cabin. Galena City, nine miles
west of Lake City, was established in 1877. The founder
had ambitions to be governor and renamed the town Capitol
City. There are two old log cabins in the area and some
new homes have been built nearby. Another Galena is
mentioned in "Guide to Colorado Ghost Towns and Mining
Camps." It is in Schofield County near
Gunnison. Galena Mountain is near Silverton.
Idaho
It is now a ghost
town 229 miles northwest of Ketchum. It was a mining
settlement and had nearly disappeared by 1890. In the area
is Galena Peak, Galena Summit, and Galena Gulch. Sun
Valley ski area is on Galena Summit.
Illinois
Located in the
northwest corner of Illinois with a population of 3600. In
the 1830s eighty percent of the lead mined in the United States
came from the Galena area. It was the principal trade
center of the tri-state area of Wisconsin, Illinois, and
Iowa. President Grant considered it his hometown.
Tourism is the principal industry.
Indiana
This is an
unincorporated area on route 150 about 10 miles northwest of
Louisville, Kentucky. It is a bedroom community with a
population of five to seven thousand.
Iowa
The Galena (IL)
Gazette reported in 1886 that a group of Germans from there had
established a settlement near Sioux City near the headwaters of
the Perry River.
Kansas
This city was an
important lead mining area and mined most of the lead needed
during the Civil War after the mines in Galena, Illinois
couldn't fill the demand. it is a town of about 3330
located in the extreme southeast corner of Kansas.
Maryland
Founded in 1762, it
now has a population of 350. Its lead mines also produced
silver. It is 65 miles east of Baltimore and 75 miles
north of Washington, DC. It is tourist oriented and has
antique shops and marinas.
Mississippi
In 1814, John Henry
Cox bought several estates in the area and moved his five sons
and several hundred slaves there. The plantation was named
"Galena" after a Scottish mineral that signified
"peace." The house still stands, but there is no
town of Galena. There is a Galena School near the
location. The are is about 10 miles southwest of Holly
Springs on Route 4 in Marshall County.
Missouri
The town is the
county seat of Stone County in the southwestern part of the
state. About 400 people live there now. It was an
important mining area. The principal industry is the
county government. All of the county buildings are there.
Nebraska
The Galena area in
Dodge County in southeastern Nebraska was laid out as a town,
but no one ever lived there. Hayes County in southwestern
Nebraska is the location of another Galena. Martinsburg is
in the northeast part of the state, (51 people) and is in Galena
Township. May have been named Galena when first
established.
Nevada
This state has two
Galenas. One is in a region in the south part of Reno and
the other is toward the center of the state near Battle
Mountain. Only a couple of shacks remain there. There
is a Galena High School in Reno. The area is suburban in
nature and nearly 500 homes have been built there. It is
in the high desert. Galena Creek runs through the area and
Galena forest starts at about 500 feet in the mountains at the
edge of Galena.
New York
It is now called
North Norwich. It is also known as Galena Station.
Ohio
This is a town of
about 400 located 12 miles northeast of Columbus. It
probably was named after the Galena Shale that was quarried in
the area. The shale was pulverized and used to make
bricks. The brick works closed recently
Oregon
Galena is in the
northeast part of the state. It is about 100 miles from
the Idaho state line and the same distance from the Washington
state line. It was probably named Galena because it was
near a large body of lead sulfide (galena). It is in Grant
County which was named after U.S. Grant. The post office
closed in 1943.
Pennsylvania
Galena Hill is now
known as Miller Park. Charles Miller started the Galena
Oil Company in Franklin. The lubricating oil contained
galena and was said to lubricate over ninety percent of the
railroads in the country. Miller also owned the Galena
Navigation Company which operated the steamer Franklin between
ports in New York and Houston. Houston has a suburb named
Galena Park which named after the Galena Signal Oil Company, a
subsidiary of the Galenas Oil Company of Franklin, PA.
South Dakota
This town is in
Lawrence County near Lead and Deadwood in the west central part
of the state. It was named after the lead mines, but more
silver was produced there than was lead. There are 19 full
time residents and some summer homes.
Texas
Houston has a suburb
named Galena Park. It has a population of about 10,000 and
was named after the Galena Signal Oil Co. (see Pennsylvania
above)
Virginia
To quote the
President of the Wythe County Historical Society, "It is
little more than a wide spot in the road (US52) centered on the
Galena Presbyterian Church." It was a lead mining
region.
Washington
The town in Snohomish
County was a boom town during the gold rush, but was named
because of the lead in the area. There is a site on the
west side of Spokane named Galena. The four Galena lakes
are in Whatcom County in the northwest part of the state.
Another Galena existed 30 miles form Roslyn in Kittitas County.
Australia
Galena is in a region
of Western Australia known as the Mid West. More
information is being researched.
British Columbia,
Canada
Galena Bay is on the
Upper Arrow Lake southeast of Revelstoke. It is a small
community named after the mineral.
There are all sorts
of businesses and buildings that have the name Galena.
There is Galena Computing Service on the Isle of Wight in Great
Britain and a store in Santiago, Chile that sells bed linens,
towels, etc. There is a Galena Mountain Inn in Aspen, CO
and a Galena Inn on Barbados Island. In the immediate
area: Dubuque, IA and Freeport, IL have Galena Streets.
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