Tuesday, we visited Galena, Illinois, where we went on our honeymoon 36 years ago. It is sometimes called the "Town That History Forgot."
At one time it was bigger than Chicago and the site of a lead boom back in the 1840s, its riverfront crowded with steamships. After the lead boom went bust, time more or less forgot the town and its main street began a long, slow period of decline.
That is, until the late 1960s, when Galenians and others began to realize the architectural heritage they had. Old buildings were bought and converted into antique and upscale souvenirs, restaurants opened, and people began flocking in large numbers to the town, in northwest Illinois, very close to Iowa and Wisconsin.
Today, a walk down Main Street is to walk back into the 1840s.
And, then there is that wonderful terrain out in this part of Illinois, which makes it especially beautiful come fall when the trees change. New England doesn't have anything on us.
The Town that Time Forgot. --Cooter
1 comment:
Very glad to come across your post on your trip to Galena and Jo Daviess County. Hope you can come back again soon. Thanks for letting your followers know more about our wonderful and historical destination. From your friendly hosts for visitor information, the Galena/Jo Daviess County Convention and Visitors Bureau
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