Wisconsin/Illinois Trip--Day 4

Saturday morning began with a tour of General Ulysses S. Grant's home in Galena. This home was given to him after he returned victorious from the Civil War. He and his family lived there for a short time before he began his bid for president. This is a painting of  him with his wife and four children that hangs in the house.

 After another delicious lunch at the Market House Restaurant, we were given a walking tour of Galena by General Grant himself (aka Bob Buman). We learned how Galena was first occupied by Indians, then the French. American Settlers came later, and built a prosperous lead mining town. The area is known for very high quality lead. The Galena River was a hub for steamboat commerce. However, the demand for lead decreased, and the Galena River became impassable to steamboats because of erosion. The population went from a high of 14,000 to around 3500. During the 1980's city leaders decided to focus on tourism, and Galena is now listed on some travel advisory sites as one of the top ten "charming little towns" in the US.

    For those who went to Mackinaw Island last year, the shops in Galena were a lot like that--without the cars, of course.

Dinner was at Fried Green Tomatoes, one of the best known restaurants in Galena. Then it was on to a surprise event for the evening!







                                                                                              

We were treated to a magic show by P .T. Murphy. He entertained us with disappearing $50 bills--which then reappeared in strange places. There were also some card tricks, and how in the world could he tell what people in our group were thinking? Glennon Schlitt is obviously not sure if he trusts Mr. Murphy in this photo.