Ulysses G. Grant, the famous Civil War Union general who later became the 18th president of the United States, lived in Galena. Grant was born in Ohio, but his father later moved to Galena where he operated a tannery and leather goods store. Grant moved his family to Galena in 1860 where he worked for his father. Following the Civil War, Galena residents gave General Grant and his family a house to show their gratitude to him for winning the Civil War.The Grants lived there until he was elected president and moved to Washington, D.C. The Grant children gave the house to the city in 1904 as a memorial to their father. The home now is a state historic site.
Ulysses S. Grant Home State Historic Site
500 Bouthillier St.
Galena IL 61036
815-777-3310
granthome.com/granthome2.htm
The Old Blacksmith Shop is a reminder of the days when we got around on horsepower of the four-legged type. The Galena Historical Society and the City of Galena restored the last remaining blacksmith shop in the town. This particular blacksmith shop was built in 1897 toward the end of the horse-and-buggy era. Tools of the trade, which still work, are on display. Blacksmiths frequently work there to show what smithing involved, and you can buy items they made in the gift shop. The Old Blacksmith Shop is open Friday through Monday from May through October.
The Old Blacksmith Shop
245 Commerce St.
Galena IL 61036
815-777-1893
galenahistorymuseum.org/blacksmith.htm
Fast forward a few decades to modern times where you can visit the Galena branch of The Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design. This museum is devoted to architectural, industrial and graphic design. Museum exhibits include furniture, industrial products, graphic design materials and architectural drawings, among its thousands of items. The museum is headquartered in Chicago, but has branches elsewhere in Illinois as well as in Europe. The Galena branch serves as the center for historic preservation and historic urban research. It is open to the public from noon to 5 p.m. Friday through Sunday.
The Chicago Athenaeum at Galena
601 S. Prospect St.
Galena, IL 61036
815-777-4444
chi-athenaeum.org/
