Galena, Illinois: A Brief History

by Diann Marsh

With 85 percent of its buildings on the National Register of Historic Places, Galena truly is a place drenched in history. From the ancient burial mounds crowding the high banks of the Mississippi to the home of President Ulysses S. Grant, the Illinois town's rich past is everywhere on display. Follow Diann Marsh in her dogged pursuit of that fascinating heritage and catch glimpses of unforgettable incidents like the courageous defense put up by a handful of Galena settlers during the Black Hawk War or the monster flood that turned a day in 1892 into a bridge-snapping spectacle. Fortunes are won and lost within the space of a page, but the legacy left by Galena's determined citizens and cared for by passionate guardians like Marsh is one that is sure to endure.

192 pages, Paperback

First published August 20, 2010

Reviews

[Kenneth Feeney · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good overview of local history by a local resident.

[Kathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

With fine resources and solid research, this little history of a town in northwest Illinois should be better. But the writing is less than compelling, with a few actual errors in grammar, word choice, and style.

I was especially appalled by a quote from an Indian who had taken a settler's child: "Take papoose to show squaw. No harm." No self-respecting Indian, with the possible exception of Tonto, would use such a sentence.

However, I bought the book on a visit to some new friends in Galena, and as a souvenir of those lovely days, it serves well.