A history of Galena,
since 1826
Postcards, papers and photographs of Galena from public archives, woven together by decade. Neighbors fill in the gaps.
The story
from WikipediaRead it all ↗The city is named for galena, the natural form of lead sulfide (PbS) and the most important lead ore. Native Americans mined the ore for use in burial rituals. The Havana Hopewell first traded galena in the area during the Middle Woodland period (c. 1–400 CE). However, the use of galena in the Havana territory is uncertain; very little has been identified in burial mounds. During the Mississippian period (900–1500 CE), galena saw use as body paint.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Timeline
built from the dates on the items belowFinish Galena’s story
Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.
3 of 10 decades since 1900 have photos 🔁Retake an old viewPark Ave. Galena Ill, 1906: stand where they stood+15 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10Famous people from Galena
See all 22 →
Galena, decade by decade
1970s
1990s
Then & now
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as Park Ave. Galena Ill (1906) and it appears here side by side.
🔁 Retake this view · +15Stories next door
nearby towns’ historyFrom the Library of Congress (11). Images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.