Galena's Living History Alliance

22 hours ago

Our first stop on this hot summer morning took us to the corner of High and Washington Streets, where another piece of Galena's story found its way home.

A heartfelt thank you to homeowner Carter for applying for a Galena's Living History Alliance plaque for the beautiful Fiddick House and for helping preserve its history for future generations.

Today carried a little extra meaning.

Carter's wife, Sarah, had looked forward to the day the plaque would finally hang in front of their home. Sadly, she passed away before she had the chance to see it. As we stepped back and admired it in place, it was impossible not to think of her. We hope, in some small way, this moment honors both the history she loved and the home she treasured.

The story of William Fiddick began in Cornwall, England, where he was born in 1813. Like so many Cornish families, he crossed the Atlantic in search of a better life. He first tried lead mining, but soon discovered his true calling wasn't beneath the earth…it was building something that would stand the test of time.

When William arrived in Galena in 1837, he opened a mercantile with his nephew, John. Through hard work, honesty, and determination, that little store grew into one of Galena's most successful businesses.

In 1841, William married fellow Cornish immigrant Philippa Bastian. Together they built a beautiful life overlooking the city in the magnificent brick home that now bears the Fiddick name. Although they never had children of their own, they opened their hearts to an adopted son, Richard Henry Fiddick, creating a family built on love rather than blood.

William served as an alderman, helped establish Greenwood Cemetery, and remained devoted to Galena throughout his life. Even after the devastating fire of 1875 destroyed his Main Street store, he simply rolled up his sleeves and rebuilt, just as Galena itself did.

After William's passing in 1886, Philippa carried their legacy forward with remarkable strength. She managed the family's estate, modernized the Fiddick House with amenities far ahead of their time, and became one of Galena's most respected businesswomen and largest taxpayers.

The Fiddick House is more than one of Galena's most beautiful homes. It's a reminder that this town was built by people with courage, perseverance, and hope…people who believed in creating something that would outlive them.

This morning, another one of those stories found its place above the wall for everyone who passes by to discover. And somehow, we think Sarah would have smiled. … See MoreSee Less

Galena's Living History Alliance

2 weeks ago

Today we're celebrating someone who has been part of the Galena Living History Alliance from the very beginning.
Happy Birthday, Jeff Braunreiter!
Jeff is one of our founding members, our Treasurer, our tax guy, our nonprofit guru, and a member of our installation team. If you've a plaque installed at your home, chances are Jeff had a hand in making it happen.
What makes him even more remarkable is that he does all of this while working full-time, traveling for his job, and helping raise twin daughters alongside his wonderful wife. Somehow, through all of life's demands, he still finds time for us.
Jeff is the kind of guy every organization hopes to have. He is dependable, thoughtful, hardworking, and always willing to lend a hand when something needs to be done. We value his opinion, trust his judgment, and are incredibly grateful for everything he contributes to GLHA.
Quite simply, we don't know what we'd do without him.
Please join us in wishing him a very happy birthday and thanking him for all he does to help preserve Galena's history, one plaque at a time!
Happy Birthday, Jeff! … See MoreSee Less

Galena's Living History Alliance

3 weeks ago

900 Followers.
Sometimes we have to stop for just a moment and let it all sink in.
What began as a handful of Galenians with a dream of preserving the history of our homes and the everyday people who built this city has become something so much more than we ever imagined.
Along the way, we became an official nonprofit organization. We grew from six members to fourteen (and trust us, we are grateful for every one of those helping hands). We created our historic binder program so homeowners could have a lasting record of the stories we've uncovered. We researched, wrote, photographed, painted, drilled, installed, organized, answered questions, wrote emails, solved problems, and somehow kept moving forward one house at a time.
Today, we're also working side by side with the Galena Center for the Arts to bring our first-ever History Walk fundraiser to life in October. It's an ambitious project, but if there's one thing we've learned, it's that this community believes in preserving and sharing Galena's stories.
To every homeowner who trusted us with your home's history, every volunteer who donated countless hours, every member who joined our mission, every supporter who follows along and cheers us on…thank you.
Your encouragement is the reason we're here.
Nine hundred followers may seem like a number, but to us it represents 900 people who care about preserving Galena's past and making sure these stories aren't lost to time.
We're incredibly proud of what we've accomplished together, and even more excited about what's still ahead.
The future is bright, and we can't wait to continue this journey with all of you.
Thank you for being part of it. … See MoreSee Less