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Wander through Galena's New City Cemetery--now
known as Greenwood--and you can't help seeing the inscriptions. John
and Mernervery Hall: " "Born and Raised in
Slavery." John Barton:"Deprived of the
rights of a citizen by odious and unjust laws, yet his whole
life vindicated." Henry Christopher: "Company
D, 13th Colored Heavy Artillery. "And on rapidly
weathering tombstones, long forgotten citizens with surnames of Brooks
, orStamps, or Reyno, or Lester. These
were people who helped create the Galena of history. People who
worked the mines, thronged the bustling steamboat levee, staffed
the local hotels, and served the wealthy merchants whose
mansions still cling to "Quality Hill".
As Galena prospered, the African-American population
flourished, their residences dotting both sides of the river.
But with the end of the steamboat trade, the coming of the
railroads, and the reversion of Galena to a mere provincial
county seat, most black families sought greener economic
pastures. Whether those who moved on, or those who remained to
be layed to rest in Greenwood, their stories need to be
told--and their deeds deserve a fitting remembrance.
To that end, a new organization was recently created, The
Galena African-American Heritage Foundation, with the stated
objective "to promote the research, interpretation,
preservation and dissemination of Galena and Jo Daviess County's
African-American cultural heritage."
Garret Johnson was a resident of Galena during the
Civil War era. As were most Galena blacks, Johnson was relegated
to a "menial" occupation, that of steamboat porter.
During Reconstruction, he sought something better. In 1870 he
journeyed to Mississippi, where he began "preaching to the
colored people... and teaching their youths." Later, in
1874, Johnson edited a newspaper in Jackson, The Field Hand,
and founded a "Laboring Man's Association", of which
he served as President.
Johnson had been invited to Mississippi by another former
Galenian, James Lynch. Once the pastor of the Galena
African Methodist Episcopal Church, he had been elected
Secretary of State for the Commonwealth of Mississippi, and
worked tirelessly to "secure fideltiy to the Union and
political equality to the colored race."
Another Galena resident who secured political notoriety was Richard
Cain. The local city directory listed him as a barber,
residing on Dodge Street near Spring. As early as 1853, Cain
attended a "Colored Convention" in Chicago, the object
of the meeting being "to improve their own social
condition." He was elected a Vice-President, and shared the
podium with the distinguished Frederick Douglass. Cain later
served two terms as U.S. Representative from South Carolina, and
as a Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
Serving as Secretary of the 1853 Chicago Convention was
Galenian Alfred H. Richardson . A native of Tennessee, he
had first settled in Alton, Illinois, where he became "a
leader of his race," and "assisted fugitive slaves in
making their escape by the 'underground railroad'." A
skilled steamboat and wagon blacksmith, Richardson operated a
Galena business on Levee(now Riverside Drive) During the 1870s,
he removed to Tennessee, where he served as General Agent of the
"Colored Manual Labor School" at Murfreesboro.
Another local resident, John Halll, was born a slave
in Tennessee, serving as personal servant to a Confederate
officer during the Civil War. A free man following the conflict,
he came to Galena and labored for the Corwith family, as a
"polite, trusted, and faithful servant," for over
thirty-five years. In 1877, Hall was engaged by the African
Literary Association of Mississippi to deliver a series of five
lectures before its members. The Galena newspaper noted the
return of "the celebrated colored lecturer," and was
"glad to see his spritely form once more moving on our
avenues."
Despite the prohibition of slavery in Illinois, some of the
earliest black residents of Galena arrived as bondsmen. Major
Thomas Legate, an early official of the government lead mining
agency, brought two such servants. Barney Norris, one of
the better known black citizens of Galena, had once served as
"table boy" for President John Quincy Adams, and
travelled to gold rush California with William S. Hamilton, son
of Alexander. Returning to Galena, he served for many years as
sexton of South Presbyterian Church, and a janitor in the public
schools and the Post Office building. On his 75th birthday, he
was presented with a gold headed cane(now on display as the
Galena History Museum)--a token of esteem from some rather
notable citizens, including Galena Generals Grant, Chetlain,
Rowley, and John C. Smith.
An associate of Norris was James Shorter, who served
as a waiter and groomsman for the Hempstead family. He later
returned to Washington to study theology, and in 1880 was
elected AME Bishop "of the District between Ohio and
Minnesota inclusive." He was noted as "a fine scholar,
and one of the most brilliant orators in the
ministry"..."a noble specimen of his race."
Swansey Adams came to the lead region as a slave, the
property of one James Duncan. Unwilling to leave Galena, he was
kidnapped by his master and brought to St. Louis, where local
citizen William Hempstead followed--purchasing Swansey for $100,
and bringing him back a free man. For many years he was
"the only water system the town boasted of,"as he
"drove a platform(two-wheeled) dray carrying three water
barrels, furnishing the stores with river water, at fifteen
cents per week for one bucket a day."
Perhaps no single resident of Galena achieved more for his
black brethren than Henry Christopher. Born a slave in
Virginia, he was brought to Illinois by the Rev. Samuel
Mitchell, and given his freedom. His local occupations of paper
hanger and whitewasher belied his many talents, especially in
the field of music. A bugler during the Civil War,
"Professor" Christopher taught vocal music here for
many years. He organized singing groups, the Galena Glee Club
and the Jubilee Singers, which performed throughout the region.
In 1879 he founded a Colored Literary and Debating Society, for
the "mental improvement on the part of our colored
citizens." He died in Dubuque in 1889, and was eulogized as
"a leader among his people," occupying "all
positions of honor which it was in their power to give."
I'll end this brief survey with Moses Lester who was
called, during the Civil War, a contraband. He had wandered into
the Union lines near Jackson, Tennessee during the summer of
1862. Employed as a cook in the hospital department, he came to
the attention of Galenian Dr. Edward D. Kittoe--who took him on
as private servant. In November of that year, Lester was sent to
Galena--where he followed various occupations, ranging from
"tonsorial artist" (barber)to boarding house operator
to sexton of the Methodist Church. He was "a weather
prophet of no mean ability," and Galenians "relied
upon his predictions as much as they did the weather
bureau." His orchards were famous, and contained many trees
native to more southerly climes. To assist their survival, he
would "erect a shed over the trees," to protect
"them from the rigors of the northern winter." Said
the Galena editor: "His life was a long and eventful one,
and the story sounds like the pages of a novel."
Galena's African-American citizens possessed many such
stories. This has been but a sampling. Through the efforts of
the Galena African-American Heritage Foundation, these
stories will be told. And our black citizens of the past will
deserve the same eulogy given to Moses Lester: "They lived
a good life, and left a name which will ever be held in
respect."
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