Yesterday was the day my mother an I went to Galena Illinois. We had planned to do so during Spring Break, but due to illness we were unable to follow through. So we went yesterday. The main place of interest is the home of General Ulysses S. Grant, one of the three greatest generals of the American civil war (the other two being William T. Sherman and Philip Sheridan).
Here's how it went: We left around eight and went to Sinsinawa for church (it was Sunday and Mom wanted to see the mother house of the college she graduated from). I'll admit it was interesting, but I had never been to Catholic Mass. I'm used to congregational hymns, not call-and-respond. There was a mini museum on the lower floor that told the story of the Dominican Sisters who founded the church in the 1840s. It also told the story of Father Mazzuchelli and his missionary work in Wisconsin.
We arrived in Galena around noon. We stopped at a German-French bistro called Fritz and Frites for lunch. After lunch we went to the Grant Home for a short tour. Most of the artifacts are from the time period and originally owned by the Grants. There was only one inaccuracy. The ribs on the table looked rare. Grant hated rare meat. For him it had to be so well done it was near burnt. His father had been a tanner, and for that you need a strong stomach and a weak sense of smell. Grant had neither. But just seeing the furniture that he really owned was fascinating. Outside the house was a statue of Mrs. Grant. And there was another exhibit about the presidential china and pets.
We went up to the Galena History Museum which is about Galena, but also focuses a lot on Grant. There was a breif introductory video hologram (no, not the Star Wars type, more like at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry), of General and Mrs. Grant talking about their life in Galena. Galena gets its name from the Latin word for lead ore. The town was founded during the lead rush in the early 19th Century. The first floor was all about Galena itself. There were farming tools, an early washing machine, and many other things related to daily life in the town. They had on display an actual mineshaft; the second one I've seen in my life (the first being the Shot Tower). There was a lot of information on mining in Galena.
The second floor was all about battle history, especially the Civil War, and in particular, Grant's role. When most other Union generals were either incompetent or unwilling to destroy Lee's army, Grant was willing to actually take risks. When people complained of Grant's notorious drunkenness from before the war, Lincoln famously said, "Find out what brand he drinks and send a barrel of it to my other generals. I can't spare this man; he fights." The crown jewel of the Museum is the original painting by artist Thomas Nast, Peace in Union. This painting depicts the surrender at Appomattox Court House in Virginia on April 9th, 1865. Lee was dressed to the nines with is sword at his side and gold spurs. Grant in his usual way*, was hunched over and wearing a muddy private's blouse. Grant told his troops not to gloat, but to treat the surrendering rebels kindly. This was a big step towards reconciliation.
In the years following the war, Grant went on to become the 18th president of the United States. Although corruption charges marred his two terms, under his administration the 15th Amendment was passed which "prohibits the federal and state governments from denying a citizen the right to vote based on the citizens race, color, or previous condition of servitude". Unfortunately, as history shows, this was more honored in the breach than in the observance for decades.
I bought a copy of The Personal Mmoirs of Ulysses S. Grant from the museum gift shop. In his final years, Grant's family fell on hard times. He wrote his memoirs during that time and finished before he finally died of throat cancer in 1877. The memoirs were published after his death and sold over half a million copies. The money from the sales helped the Grant family get back on their feet.
After the museum, Mom and I walked up and down Main St. and stopped in at a few shops. At a lingerie store, Mom bought a nightshirt for my aunt in Kentucky and somehow got into a heart-to-heart discussion on Christ with the sales lady. I bought ice cream for both Mom and myself, and got a business card from a employee at a chocolate shop (I wanted to let the head chef at MATC know about it). We finally left around five and got home after seven. I really loved the trip and hope to do it again this summer.
A little bit of advice for anyone thinking of going to Galena:
1. Go in the spring, summer, and early autumn. The roads are ridiculously narrow (it has a one-way Main St.!) and the town is terraced on a series of hills. The wide roads here in the Madison Wisconsin area are bad enough in the winter. The narrow streets will be worse in snowy weather.
2. A visit to Grant's Home is a must! There aren't many big attractions in Galena, and this town is nuts about it's most famous citizen. It's admission by donation, and while the tour is short, it is very informative.
3. Pack some cash for shopping. Main St. is full of so many shops it's ridiculous. Most close around five in the evening, so plan carefully. And do take the time to get to know some of the locals.
____________________________________
*Grant was described by some of his peers as being "plain as an old stove". He was a rather quiet man who was not the type to get all excited about things, nor was known to dress in a flashy manner.
No comments:
Post a Comment