The story
from WikipediaRead it all ↗Cousins William L. Wiley (1820–1900) and James Wiley (1817–1886) founded Galva in 1854. The name Galva honors the Swedish immigrants of nearby Bishop Hill and refers to Gävle, Sweden which is the town's sister city. Today around 80% of the town has Scandinavian ancestry.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Be one of the first
Start Galva’s collection
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Galva’s history is told.
0 of 10 decades since 1900 have photos 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10Famous people from Galva
See all 4 →
By decade
Galva, decade by decade
Before
2000
2000
No old photos in the archives yetWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
📷 Add from your albumToday12 photos
CommonsGalva - 1909 Front Street Scene2020
LOCThis cornfield is so tall, it nearly obscures the farm's ba…2019
LOCUnusual sculpture on the Black Hawk College's East campus, …2019
LOCGoats in a pasture near Galva, Illinois2019
CommonsImage Former Opera House2015
Commons19960107 12 Amtrak2015
CommonsWind Farm Near Kewanee, Illinois2013
CommonsWind Turbines in Henry County, Illinois Near Cambridge, Ill…2012
CommonsGalva, Illinois2006
Commons20061021 19 BNSF2006
Commons20030427 20 BNSF2003
Commons20030427 18 Amtrak2003Then & now
When neighbors add old photos, retakes from the same spot appear here side by side.
Stories next door
nearby towns’ historyFrom Wikimedia Commons (9) and the Library of Congress (3). Images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.