Galena, Illinois
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Image:DowntownGalena.jpg Galena is a city located in Jo Daviess County, Illinois. As of the 2004 census, the city had a total population of 3,446. It is the county seat of Jo Daviess CountyTemplate:GR.
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Geography
Image:ILMap-doton-Galena.PNG Galena is located at 42°25'5" North, 90°25'53" West (42.418171, -90.431472)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.7 km² (3.7 mi²). 9.7 km² (3.7 mi²) of it is land and none of it is covered by water.
Galena is located in the "Driftless Zone": an area that was not covered by glaciers during the recent ice ages. This area, in the far northwestern corner of the State, escaped glaciation, even while almost the entire State was glaciated, nearly to its southern tip. Because it escaped glaciation, this area has exposed rock, without the deep soils that cover almost the entire State.
History
The town is named for Galena, an ore of lead, lead sulfide. The Native Americans mined the ore here, at least for use as body paint. The French mined lead here as early as 1690. Americans were working the mines prior to 1818. Because of the lead deposits, Galena was settled early on by Americans, even though its location, in the far northwest corner of the State, was remote from the early settlers, who generally came from the southeast. But in the 1840s, at the height of Galena's prosperity, the town's population was larger than Chicago. As the use of lead declined, so did Galena's fortunes. But the beautiful architecture of the city remained, and much has been preserved for today's generations to enjoy.
American Civil War General Ulysses S. Grant lived in Galena for several years before the outbreak of the Civil War after becoming an assistant in his father and brother's leather shop. Today his home in Galena is a popular tourist attraction.
Culture and Institutions
Image:EagleRidgeEastGolfHole7 GalenaIllinois.JPG Galena is a very popular tourist destination. Main Street in downtown Galena has a large number of specialty shops and restaurants offering fine food. It is also home to the Galena Cellers winery.
There are a several resorts and golf courses located in and around Galena including the Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa and the Chestnut Mountain Ski Resort.
Saint Michael's Church in Galena was founded by the pioneer priest Father Samuel Mazzuchelli after one of the three Archangels.
In 2004 Wal-Mart began building a Supercenter along U.S. Highway 20 in the western part of the city, after years of controversy over building such a store in the area. The new Supercenter opened in early 2005.
The Galena Territory and Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa
Image:LakeGalena GalenaTerritory GalenaIllinois.JPGThe Galena Territory is a 6,800 acre development located several miles southeast of downtown Galena. The territory is managed by the Galena Territory Association. The association is led by a nine-member Board of Directors. The Greenspace Committee of the territory has set aside 1,500 acres of protected common space that can be used for hikers and equestrians. The remainder of the land is filled with homesites and the Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa. Many of the homes are vacation homes and the lot sizes range from quarters of an acre to hundreds of acres.
The Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa, formerly known as Eagle Ridge Inn & Resort, is a resort located within the Galena Territory. The inn rents rooms, villas, and homes. The resort also offers 4 golf courses; the General (its signature course), the North, the South, and the East.
Prices are per person/per night and high for the area.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 3,460 people, 1,570 households, and 893 families residing in the city. The population density was 358.2/km² (926.4/mi²). There were 1,821 housing units at an average density of 188.5/km² (487.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.54% White, 0.32% African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.32% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 1.16% from other races, and 0.58% from two or more races. 5.06% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 1,570 households out of which 20.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.7% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.1% were non-families. 37.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.81.
Image:SouthGalena.jpg In the city the population was spread out with 18.7% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 26.4% from 45 to 64, and 22.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 94.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $36,103, and the median income for a family was $44,063. Males had a median income of $32,172 versus $19,670 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,773. 9.9% of the population and 4.3% of families were below the poverty line. 8.8% of those under the age of 18 and 9.3% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
External links
- "A Timeline of Galena History" -(a timeline developed by the Galena Historical Society}io:Galena, Illinois