Galena River (Illinois)

Galena Junction is a former railroad junction in Jo Daviess County, Illinois, United States. It is located along the BNSF Railway Aurora Subdivision. These tracks were previously built operated by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad (CB&Q). A branch line to Galena also joined the main line at Galena Junction. West of the junction, the tracks converged into a single track bridge over the Galena River. The Chicago Great Western Railway's (CGW) main line also diverged at Galena Junction, running parallel with the CB&Q to the southeast and was jointly operated (via trackage rights) with the CB&Q to the northwest and East Dubuque. The Illinois Central's Iowa Division also joined the tracks west of Galena Junction at "Portage" interlocking. The CB&Q Galena Branch was abandoned in 1964, while the CGW line was abandoned in 1971 by predecessor Chicago and North Western Railway. The former CB&Q branch, along the east side of the Galena River, is now a rail trail.

West Galena Township is one of twenty-three townships in Jo Daviess County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,323 and it contained 1,849 housing units.

Aiken is a rural unincorporated community lying in Rice Township in Jo Daviess County, Illinois, United States, near the Iowa border. It was originally established as a whistle stop around 1887, and lay along trunk lines of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad and Chicago, St. Paul & Kansas City Railroad. It is located at latitude 42.353 and longitude -90.415.

The Galena station of Galena, Illinois was built in 1857 and originally served the Illinois Central Railroad. The two story Italianate structure is included in the Galena Historic District. Over the years, the station hosted the Illinois Central's Hawkeye, Iowan, Land O'Corn, and Sinnissippi trains. These trains connected Galena residents as far as Chicago in the east and as far west as Sioux City, Iowa. Passenger service ceased upon the formation of Amtrak in 1971, but resumed between Chicago and Dubuque in 1974 under the name Black Hawk. Service ceased again in September 30, 1981. Today, the old depot hosts the Galena Visitors Bureau. Restoration of the Black Hawk was planned in the early 2010s, but the portion west of Rockford was indefinitely postponed in 2014.

Bremen is an unincorporated community in Jo Daviess County, Illinois, United States. Bremen is 1.5 miles (2.4 km) southeast of Galena.

The Elihu Benjamin Washburne House, also known as the Washburne-Sheehan House, is a 1+1⁄2-story Greek Revival house located at 908 Third Street in Galena, Illinois. Constructed in 1844–45, the building was built for and owned by Elihu Benjamin Washburne, a prominent Galena lawyer who served in Congress during the American Civil War, and as Secretary of State and Minister to France under President Ulysses S. Grant, another famous Galenian. The Washburne House was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1973.

Greenwood Cemetery is a public cemetery in West Galena Township in the city of Galena, Illinois. It is located one mile west of downtown Galena at the intersection of US 20 (Ulysses S. Grant Memorial Highway) and Gear Street. Greenwood Cemetery interments include United States Civil War veterans and casualties along with a number of staff members from President Ulysses S. Grant's administration. Greenwood is an active cemetery and is open to the public.

Saint Michael's Church is a parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockford. The church is located in Galena, Illinois, United States, at 227 South Bench Street in Galena. The parish is named after the Archangel Michael, and is seated on a hill overlooking downtown Galena.

The Galena Historic District is a historic district located in the city of Galena, Illinois, United States. The historic district encompasses 85 percent of the city of Galena and includes more than 800 properties. The downtown area consists of three successive tiers made up of Main, Bench and Prospect Streets. Within the boundaries of the district are such notable homes as the Ulysses S. Grant Home and the Elihu B. Washburne House. The Galena Historic District was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1969.

Galena is the largest city in and the county seat of Jo Daviess County, Illinois, with a population of 3,308 at the 2020 census. A 581-acre (235 ha) section of the city is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Galena Historic District. The city is named for the mineral galena, which was in the ore that formed the basis for the region's early lead mining economy. Native Americans, primarily Mesquakie, Ho-Chunk, Sauk, and Menominee had mined galena in the area for more than a thousand years before European Americans settled in the area. Owing to these deposits, Galena was the site of the first major mineral rush in the United States. By 1828, the population was estimated at 10,000, rivaling the population of Chicago at the time. Galena developed as the largest steamboat hub on the Mississippi River north of St. Louis. Galena was the home of Ulysses S. Grant and eight other Civil War generals. Today, the city is a tourist destination known for its history, architecture, and resorts.

The Old Market House, currently being operated as the Galena Welcome Center, is a brick building built in the Greek Revival style in 1845 in Galena, Illinois. It is owned and operated by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency as an Illinois State Historic Site.

Grace Episcopal Church, also known as Grace Church, is a parish church of the Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Chicago, located in Galena, Illinois. The church is the oldest continually operating Episcopal parish church in Illinois. Located at 109 South Prospect Street at Hill Street, the church sits on a hill overlooking downtown Galena. The parish traces its history back to 1826, when Episcopal services were first held on the banks of what was then called the Fevre River (now the Galena River). Following the initial services a group of people began meeting and holding services in various houses when clergy visited the community. The parish was formally established in 1835 and was named Grace after its patron parish in Providence, Rhode Island.Initially the parish held services at the county courthouse followed by meeting above a storefront in downtown Galena. The parish then built a wooden chapel on Bench Street in 1836. In 1838 the parish was able to purchase a Henry Erben organ which was first used in that chapel before being moved to the current church where it is still used today. By the late 1840s membership had grown to the point that more space was needed, and plans were drawn up for the current church structure. Construction began in 1847 and was constructed from limestone quarried on site. The church was completed in 1849 and consecrated in 1850. The church was fitted with windows of Belgian glass along with windows in the Tiffany style. The current altar and sacristy were added in 1893.In 2001 and 2001 the church was completely restored at a cost of $450,000.