Galena's Living History Alliance

14 hours ago

We are so happy to share another wonderful Galena story… this one belonging to the John Edwards House at 510 Dewey Avenue.

John Edwards was born about 1814 in Delaware and came west to Jo Daviess County, where he married Selina Whitham on August 19, 1838. John was 24 years old and Selina, who had been born in Leeds, England, was 19.

Selina had quite a journey before Galena ever became home. She came to America as an infant with her parents, Joseph and Ann Whitham, and the family first settled at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. In 1837, they moved west to Galena, where the Whithams became part of our city’s early history and were connected with the beginnings of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

John and Selina built this beautiful home just two years after marrying, when John was still mining. They raised a large family and later moved to Thompson Township, where John worked as a farmer and owned both real estate and personal property.

Sadly, John died there on March 4, 1863, at only 49 years old. His probate record confirms the date and place of his death, although we haven't yet been able to determine the cause.

Several years later, Selina married longtime Galena resident Johnston Ginn. The marriage was apparently not a happy one. Ginn’s later obituary referred to it as an “unfortunate marriage,” and the couple eventually divorced. Selina returned to using the Edwards name.

Selina lived many years after John’s death and was remembered as a quiet woman, but one known for her kindness and generosity to others. She became an active member of the Methodist Episcopal Church and remained close to her family throughout her life.

Selina died in Montfort, Wisconsin, on January 27, 1899, at 80 years old. At the time of her death, four of her children were still living: Caroline “Carrie” Stevens of Montfort, George R. Edwards of Galena, John A. Edwards of Dakota, and Professor C. W. Edwards of Chicago.

And now we get to one of our favorite parts of this story.

We want to send the biggest thank you to David, Esteban and Sandra, the wonderful owners of 510 Dewey Avenue. They have been an absolute joy to work with, sharing an early photograph of this beautiful house with us. We cannot tell you how much we love receiving treasures like that. Seeing a home as it looked so many years ago adds a special layer to its story.

David, Esteban and Sandra, thank you for caring so deeply about this beautiful old home and the people whose lives unfolded within its walls. It is homeowners like you who make preserving Galena’s stories so very special. … See MoreSee Less

Galena's Living History Alliance

3 days ago

This past weekend we installed another beautiful plaque, this one at 608 S. Bench Street, the home of Captain John Atchison and his wife, Caroline Emily Billon Atchison.

And, as so often happens when we start researching these early Galena families, there was so much more to their story than just the name on the plaque.

John Atchison was born in 1799 and was one of Galena’s earliest settlers. By the time he and Caroline were married here in 1829, he was already involved in the business life of this little frontier town. He became one of Galena’s prominent early merchants and later a steamboat captain, eventually commanding the Highland Mary No. 2.

Caroline had an interesting beginning of her own. She was born in Philadelphia in 1809 to parents of Swiss-French ancestry. When she was still a little girl, her family headed west, first settling in St. Louis and eventually making their way to Galena.

John and Caroline raised several children here, including John, Caroline and Charles. We especially love that their son Charles appears to have followed right along in his father’s footsteps and also became known as Captain Charles B. Atchison.

Sadly, John’s life was a short one. In June of 1850, while in St. Louis, he died of cholera at only 50 years old. His obituary described him as one of the first settlers of Galena and said he was closely identified with its early history and improvement. It also described him as a man of great enterprise and business talent, with a frank and generous nature.

Caroline was suddenly left to carry on without him.

The family had also suffered financial difficulties, and after John’s death Caroline began teaching a private school, which provided her with an income. She continued living in Galena for many years and eventually went to live with her daughter when her health began to fail.

By the time Caroline died in March of 1889, only two of her children were still living: her son John, who was living out West, and the daughter in whose home Caroline spent her final years.

I think the words written about Caroline after her death tell us more about her than almost anything else we could find. Her obituary said that few ladies in Galena had more friends or admirers. During the prosperous years of her life she had been known for being charitable and generous, and even after her circumstances changed, that kindness apparently never did.

We always love finding those little details because suddenly these aren't simply names and dates anymore. You can picture this family living in that beautiful house on Bench Street … raising their children, watching Galena grow around them, enjoying years of success and then facing some very difficult ones.

John died nearly 39 years before Caroline, but between the two of them their lives covered such an incredible period of Galena’s early history.

We are so grateful to homeowners, Nick & Jessica for seeing that Captain John Atchison’s name is where it belongs, on the beautiful home at 608 S. Bench Street, and to have one more Galena story preserved. … See MoreSee Less

Galena's Living History Alliance

6 days ago

What a lovely morning it was on saturday, at the old Central School, now Galena Green Condominiums.
We were joined by current residents and former students as we dedicated its new Galena Living History Alliance plaque. There was something very special about hearing memories from those who once walked these halls and called Central School such an important part of their childhood.
Buildings change, years pass, and new stories are written within their walls, but the old stories are still there.
For a little while this morning, it felt like Central School again.
(Video in comments) … See MoreSee Less