Galena is a historic city in the Northwest corner of Illinois.  What brought European settlers to this area was the abundant deposits of Lead.  The city's name is the Latin word for Lead sulfide.  Galena is situated in the Driftless Zone, so named because the last glacier went around the area.  85% of the city is on the National Register of Historic Places.  Galena's Favorite Son, Ulysses S. Grant, moved here prior to the Civil War.  Upon returning after the War, General Grant was presented a house overlooking the Galena River and downtown Galena.  The house is now a State Monument.

Galena was an important port along the Mississippi River. Prior to the arrival of the railroad, it was the largest port between St. Louis and Minneapolis, shipping millions of pounds of Lead. When the Lead started to run out, people left for the Gold fields in California and Nevada. During it's height the population exceeded 14,000.  Current population is approximately 3600.

Galena is now a major tourist destination and a center for the arts.

Map of Galena, Illinois