Galena, Illinois

Galena, Illinois
City
Main Street
Main Street
Flag of Galena, Illinois
Flag
Official seal of Galena, Illinois
Seal
Etymology: Galena ore
Location of Galena in Jo Daviess County, Illinois
Location of Galena in Jo Daviess County, Illinois
Galena is located in Illinois
Galena
Galena
Galena is located in the United States
Galena
Galena
Coordinates: 42°25′N 90°26′W / 42.417°N 90.433°W / 42.417; -90.433
CountryUnited States
StateIllinois
CountyJo Daviess
TownshipEast Galena, West Galena, and Rawlins
Settled1690s (French)[1]
Founded1826[2]
Incorporated1835[3]
Chartered1841[2]
Government
 • TypeGalena City Hall
 • MayorTerrence Renner
 • City Council
  • Charles Fach – Ward I
  • Todd Lincoln – Ward II
  • Jerry Kieffer – Ward III
  • Emily Painter – Ward IV
  • Laverne Greene – At Large
  • Pam Bernstein – At Large
Area
[4]
 • Total4.51 sq mi (11.67 km2)
 • Land4.50 sq mi (11.65 km2)
 • Water0.01 sq mi (0.02 km2)
Elevation
[5]
633 ft (193 m)
Population
 (2020)[6]
 • Total3,308
 • Density736.4/sq mi (284.3/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (North American Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP Code(s)
61036
Area code815
FIPS code17-28300
Wikimedia CommonsGalena, Illinois
Websitehttp://www.cityofgalena.org/

Galena is the largest city in and the county seat of Jo Daviess County, Illinois, United States.[7] It had a population of 3,308 at the 2020 census.[6] A 581-acre (235 ha) section of the city is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Galena Historic District. The city is named for the mineral galena, which was in the ore that formed the basis for the region's early lead mining economy.

Native Americans, primarily Meskwaki, Ho-Chunk, Sauk, and Menominee had mined galena in the area for more than a thousand years before European Americans settled in the area.[8] Owing to these deposits, Galena was the site of the first major mineral rush in the United States. By 1828, the population was estimated at 10,000, rivaling the population of Chicago at the time. Galena developed as the largest steamboat hub on the Mississippi River north of St. Louis. Galena was the home of Ulysses S. Grant and eight other Civil War generals. Today, the city is a tourist destination known for its history, architecture, and resorts.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference CommunityLinkProfile was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference GalenaHistory was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Kett 1878, pp. 458–461.
  4. ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  5. ^ "USGS detail on Newtown". Retrieved October 21, 2007.
  6. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference 2020-census-1728300 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  8. ^ Loew, Patty (2001). Indian Nations of Wisconsin. Wisconsin Historical Society Press. p. 42.