Galena's Living History Alliance

1 day 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

2 days 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

Galena's Living History Alliance

1 week ago

Some stories are too beautiful to be forgotten.

Over the past few days, many of you have reached out after learning that a homeowner chose not to move forward with a historic plaque once they learned about the original owners of the house. We won't identify the home or the homeowners because this post isn't about them. It's about two remarkable women whose story deserves to be told.

Sarah and Elizabeth "Lizzie" Virtue were born to William and Elizabeth Reed Virtue on the family farm in Rawlins Township. Sarah was born in 1853 and Lizzie in 1867. Neither woman ever married.

In 1893, the sisters bought land and built a home in Galena so they could care for their mother, the woman who had cared for them throughout their childhood. It was an act of love and devotion that would come to define their lives.

But their story doesn't end there.

In 1900, tragedy struck the Virtue family when their brother's wife died in Utah, from a blood clot while giving birth to a baby girl named Clara. Sarah and Lizzie opened their home and their hearts, taking Clara in and raising her as their own. They became the only mother figures she would ever know.

For decades, the three shared a life together. After Sarah's death, Lizzie and Clara eventually moved to California, where Clara cared for her dear aunt during the final years of her life.

And so the story comes full circle.

First, Sarah and Lizzie cared for the mother who raised them. Then they raised Clara after she lost her own mother. And finally, Clara cared for Lizzie in her later years, returning the love she had received as a child.

Lizzie, the last surviving child of seven born to William and Elizabeth Virtue, passed away in 1948. Today she rests beside Clara in Monrovia, California.

At Galena's Living History Alliance, these are the stories that matter to us. Not because they are famous. Not because they changed the course of history. But because they remind us what history is really made of: love, sacrifice, family, and people quietly taking care of each other.

More than 130 years after Sarah and Lizzie built their home, their story is still touching hearts. We think that's exactly the kind of history worth preserving. … See MoreSee Less