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Leaving Prairie du Chien, and heading for Rochelle, threatening clouds had more bark than bite but they signaled the approach of cooler weather. The drive took us through farmland in both Wisconsin and Illinois, mostly on two lane roads.
This pastoral scene in southern Wisconsin is quite typical:
The beginning of harvest brings a patchwork of color and textures:
Our lunch stop was in historic Galena, IL, once the largest Mississippi River port north of St. Louis. Its rapid growth began in the 1820’s. At a time when Chicago was still a swamp village, it was a thriving city and the center of trade for the upper Mississippi lead mining region. However, by the 1850’s the surface lead deposits were depleted, railroads were taking over river commerce and Galena was past its zenith. Though it may have lost its prominence, it remains an attractive town to visit:
Galena has many restored 19th-century homes. One of them once belonged to Ulysses S. Grant:
Grant arrived in Galena in 1860 at the age of 38 to work in his father’s leather store. A year later he was still an obscure clerk when he marched off to join the Civil War. By 1865, though, he was such a respected Civil War hero that, when he returned to Galena, he was gifted with this mansion by some of his neighbors who had purchased and furnished it for him. He lived here for only about four years as his other residences --- particularly a white one --- took him elsewhere.
As for obscure travelers like us, we have safely reached Rochelle, IL. After visiting with Patty’s family, we head for home on Friday, stopping overnight only in Wauseon, OH. State College, are you ready?