Discovering Galena: The Illinois River Town That Once Rivaled Chicago

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The first time I climbed the Hill Street Steps, I felt the weight of Galena’s past in every stride. The steps, now concrete but once wooden, were the same path Ulysses S. Grant walked on his way to his father’s leather shop downtown. Built in the 1800s to link the bluffs with the river below, they still carry the rhythm of a town that once rivaled Chicago. From the top, the view unfolds—church spires, red rooftops, and the winding Galena River. It’s a view so cinematic that another story once found its way here, one whispered through cornfields and remembered on film.

Table of Contents

• A City Built on Silver and Steam
• Streets That Remember
• The Grant Legacy
• Lincoln’s Balcony Speech
• The Famous Steps and the View Above Town
• Take the Trolley Tour
• Living History by the River
• A Town Preserved in Time

A City Built on Silver and Steam

Galena’s story began with silver and lead. Miners flooded the hills, riverboats crowded the docks, and Main Street filled with merchants and craftsmen. By the 1830s, the city’s population exceeded Chicago’s, driven by the success of its booming mining trade. The Galena River, then nearly 250 feet across, carried barges and steamboats to St. Louis and New Orleans.

Floods came often, reshaping both the town and the river. High-water marks still stain the floodgates, silent witnesses to how much the water once rose. As silt filled the channel and the railroad bypassed Galena, prosperity shifted east, and the town’s pace slowed. That twist of fate preserved its architecture—leaving behind red-brick facades, cast-iron balconies, and cobblestone streets that remain nearly untouched.

Streets That Remember

A walk down Main Street feels like stepping back in time. Bronze plaques tell who built each structure, what stood there before, and how it fit into Galena’s past. Many date to the 1830s and 1840s when shops sold goods to miners and merchants shipping ore downriver. Each plaque captures a different part of the story—of doctors, soldiers, and families who endured flood and fortune alike.

The Grant Legacy

In 1860, Ulysses S. Grant moved to Galena to work in his father’s leather store. When he returned a Civil War hero, the townspeople presented him with a home overlooking the valley. That home still stands, filled with mementos of his presidency and his life in Galena.

During the trolley tour—which I highly recommend—I learned that Grant actually lived in several properties around Galena before settling into the home gifted to him. Nearby, the Galena & U.S. Grant Museum traces his legacy and the town’s transformation from a mining hub to a place of national significance.

Lincoln’s Balcony Speech

Abraham Lincoln also left his mark on Galena. During his 1860 campaign, he spoke from the balcony of the DeSoto House Hotel, the oldest operating hotel in Illinois. The crowd gathered below listened as he spoke of unity and hope—words that carried off the brick façades still standing today. A small plaque marks the exact spot where he addressed the city.

The Famous Steps and the View Above Town

Beyond Hill Street, Galena’s stairways climb through time as much as space. The Washington Street Steps, with 252 steps, form the city’s tallest climb and trace the same route Ulysses S. Grant once took from his father’s leather shop to his home above town. Nearby, the Green Street Steps, with 191 steps, rise from the downtown area to the bluff and were even featured in the film Field of Dreams.

Several smaller staircases connect Galena’s steep hills—like the Hill Street Steps with 90 steps, and another linking Bench and Main Streets with 54 steps—each offering its own view of the river and the town’s enduring story.

Take the Trolley Tour

To see it all, ride the Galena Trolley Tour, which began in 1988 and still departs from the Trolley Depot for $22 per person. The one-hour narrated route winds past Grant’s Home, Lincoln’s balcony, historic churches, and river overlooks. Each stop adds another layer to the town’s story.

Living History by the River

For a closer look at Galena’s early trades, visit the Old Blacksmith Shop, where hammer and anvil still ring as they did in the 1800s. Nearby, the Chicago Great Western Railway Depot Museum in Elizabeth tells how the railroad reshaped Galena’s destiny, and the Elizabeth History Museum offers an intimate glimpse of life during the mining years.

A Town Preserved in Time

Today, Galena stands as a living museum. Main Street’s 19th-century storefronts now hold cafes, galleries, and boutiques, yet every cornice and plaque whispers of its past. The Galena River, though smaller and calmer, still anchors the town’s rhythm.

Walk its banks after rain, and the levee gates recall how high the water once climbed. Climb the steps, read the plaques, and listen. Galena may have lost its race with the railroad, but in doing so, it kept something more valuable—its soul.

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