In the early to mids, Galena, Ill. Galena was a bustling riverboat and lead mining city, with 14, inhabitants, famous for its related, often scandalous, industries: alcohol Red Stripe Beer actually originated in Galena , tobacco, "hospitality," and politics.
Ulysses S. Grant had a home here which is now a museum , and the DeSoto House Hotel, the largest hotel in "the West" when it opened in , was the site of famous speeches by both Stephen A.
Douglas and Abraham Lincoln. The ironwork balcony that both stood upon during their historic orations still looks out over Galena's main street. Along with Grant's home, there's a Civil War encampment, the oldest wood-structure home in Illinois, and several historic mansions offering tours.
The Galena River, once the lifeblood of the town, silted up in the early s due to lead-mining activities, and now is largely contained by a bulwark of levies and, on occasion, massive steel flood gates at the entrance to the postcard-perfect downtown.
Clues to the rich, industrious, and boisterous past remain on historical markers and signs throughout town. Multiple options exist for Galena "ghost tours" for tourists who have an urge to try to meet some of the city's past residents.
