Some notes on Grant's Galena, IL

[william42]

But it was Grant, not Twain, who preoccupied me during my stay in Galena. I stared at a plaque that identified one building on Main Street as the place where he worked in the family leather goods store, and admired a photo in a corridor of the DeSoto House that shows him being welcomed by a great throng after the end of the Civil War, passing under an arch with the proclamation: ''Hail to the Chief Who in Triumph Advances.''

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpag...=&pagewanted=1

Terry

[samgrant]

http://galenacellars.com/


"Generals' Restaurant, which is named not just for Grant but also for the eight other local men who rose to the rank of general for service rendered during the Civil War. That is a record few communities of any size can approach."

By the end of the war, the count of generals from Galena reached nine: Grant; Augustus Louis Chetlain; John Oliver Duer; Jasper Adalmorn Maltby; Ely Samuel Parker; John Aaron Rawlins; William Rueben Rowley; John Corson Smith; and John Eugene Smith.

http://www.edbqhs.org/District/Local...eneralslah.htm

[hoosier]

What was Parker's connection to Galena? I don't see anything in the Wikipedia article to indicate what he might have done there.

[samgrant]

Originally Posted by Hoosier

What was Parker's connection to Galena? I don't see anything in the Wikipedia article to indicate what he might have done there.

Check the other link.

"Ely began a career as a engineer. His experience being a engineer helped when he was a surveyor for the Galena River when they considered building a lock. He also worked on the Dubuque Custom House. Parker returned to New York When the war started, he tried to enlist, but did not get a commission. In 1863, General John E. Smith, who he had met in Galena, appointed Parker was sent to the staff of General US Grant."


Frankly, several of these were Grant cronies, nevertheless, Galena claims them.

[sockknitter]

In the summer of 2005, i was in Galena, and looked up the location of Jesse Grant's leather store. There is a plaque outside the building. I walked into a teddy bear shop now occupying the space. The employees seemed to be totally unaware that a US President had once worked there. Possibly I was in the wrong shop. Next door is a senior citizens' housing unit, which might be the correct location. They too seemed unaware of the building's history as they were busy preparing a noon meal.

The plaque is barely visible just above the red car in this first picture.

Closeup of the plaque:

[sockknitter]

Galena's former Customs House, now Galena's US Post Office, designed by Ely Parker.


Ornate ironwork inside the post office.

[sockknitter]

I believe this is the house the Grants lived in before the war while Ulysses was clerking in the leather store. It has no historic plaque, etc., visible and was a challenge to find.



It is up a very steep hill almost directly above the store. Ulysses would have climbed some very daunting outdoor steps to go home for lunch. Galena is very hilly, and to my legs, worse climbing than San Franciso.

[larry_cockerham]

Socknitter wrote:

"In the summer of 2005, i was in Galena, and looked up the location of Jesse Grant's leather store. There is a plaque outside the building. I walked into a teddy bear shop now occupying the space. The employees seemed to be totally unaware that a US President had once worked there. Possibly I was in the wrong shop. Next door is a senior citizens' housing unit, which might be the correct location. They too seemed unaware of the building's history as they were busy preparing a noon meal."

Looks as if Illinois kids get the same good civil war education that we give our younguns here in Tennessee? That's why the folks on this board are so important. (surprise). Without you the memory dies. Beautiful photos!

[samgrant]

Happened on this photo for sale on eBay:

[william42]

Great photos, Sock and Sam. Thank you.



TW