A collection of stories that have become a part of the folklore and culture of Galena, Illinois.

Galena, IL, nestled in the bluffs of the Mississippi River in northwest Illinois, is one of the most historic communities in the region. The townspeople take pride in the rich history of their town, dedicating their time to restoration projects and the booming industry of heritage tourism. In this book you will meet the town's pioneer residents, stroll the historic business district, and discover the unique architecture of Galena. Many of the images (c. 1826-1940s) in the book come from the Galena/Jo Daviess Historical Museum (which is sponsoring the project), the Alfred Mueller collection, the Illinois Historic Sites Office, and private collections.

At one time the home of Civil War hero Ulysses S. Grant, and the place where Abraham Lincoln campaigned, Galena was once a booming town with the largest hotel in the West. It was here that Grant put together his presidential plans. When this bustling riverboat mining town and railroad center fell into disrepair, it languished for decades, and Galena became the town that time forgot. Fortunately, no one tore down the early-1800s architecture. Today Galena is a flourishing tourist mecca where visitors can literally go back in time. These postcards tell the story of this quaint village, with its magical old atmosphere.

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.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1883.

“Village Invited to Test Cheap, Clean Nuclear Power” was the headline in the Anchorage Daily News on October 21, 2003. A positive story, using the word nuclear, had been rare for more than twenty years. Galena was a small village in interior Alaska that was dealing with escalating energy costs. The city owned and operated the diesel-generating plant. The community was off-road and off the electrical grid. A chance meeting apprised the community about an innovative solution to their energy needs—the Toshiba 4S Nuclear Reactor. This proposal elicited both curiosity and concern. The city council tasked Marvin Yoder, the city manager, to explore the potential for this source of energy and to determine if this technology was appropriate for an isolated community. He was to gather information and report to the council. To accomplish this, Marvin presented the Galena story and received feedback from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the US Department of Energy, and the American Nuclear Society. There were also meetings with state of Alaska officials and others involved in rural energy. This book chronicles the journey to determine if this reactor was compatible with the community needs and capabilities. Marvin Yoder spent more than twenty-five years working for various municipalities in Alaska, from southeast to the interior. He retired from Galena in 2006. He formed MY:T Solutions LLC with his son, Tony, and maintained contact with Toshiba for several more years. Marvin lives in Palmer, Alaska, with his wife, Patsy.