Where was the stockade in Galena?

[Robert Braun]

I was just there the past two weekends and FORGOT to look up the location!  

Anyone know offhand where the stockade was located?

Any truth to the story that Col. Strode instituted maertial law to get the fort built? And wan't it conveniently located near his home?

[[e-mail]]

What is left of the old Stockade in Galena is up on Bench Street. There is only a building left that I am aware of. They will be having a Grand Opening of the Old Stockade on June 13 or June 14. It has exhibits plus local artist Carl Johnson's etching studio.

[Greg Carter]

Can I get some directions to that site? If I can find it I can add it to the Illinois leg of the Battlefields & Bastions tour.

GMC

[Marge Smith]

A bit of information on Galena stockade from the County Commissioners Book B page 45 March 8, 1833

"Ordered by the Court that the Clerk make out and present to the board of Commissioners now sitting in Galena for the adjustment of claims against the United States for removing the jail of said County and converting it into a Block House for the defence of Galena & its vicinity by the 27th Regt. Illinois Militia, for the sum of three hundred & eighty one dollars being the cost of said jail as appears from the records together with two hundred & sixty five dollars paid by said County for rent of House for Jail & Guarding prisoners, which cost & damages the Court verily believes the United States ought to pay as the Block House has since been sold by the Government."

This probably could be tracked through the abstracts of preemption depositions and documents that are in the Galena History Room at the Galena Public Library.

[Chris Gordy]

For those of you who are coming to Galena next April, I'll take you over to the stockade house and show you around where the area was.

[Chris Gordy]

GMC,
Here's a nice explanation of where it was in Galena. This is taken from The History of Jo Daviess County, 1878. (pp 284-5)
"In the same paper (The Galenian, May 32, 1832) it is said the 'fortifications for the defense of the town are rapidly progressing. On Saturday last (19th) a stockade was commenced near the centre of the town.' On the bluff above (near the corner of Perry and Prospect Streets), on a spot selected by Lieut. J. R. B. Gardenier, commanding the stockade and a large part of the town, a blockhouse was erected and a battery planted, manned by an artillery company, of which Lieut. Gardenier was captain. (On the northeast corner of Perry and Main Streets there stood a stone house occupied by Maj. Campbell; a little distance behind it was a well that is still in existence, and above the well, towards Bench Street, was a log house built by Dr. Hancock; a short distance west of Hancock's house was another log cabin that is still standing on the west side of Perry Street, and in the northwest corner of Perry and Bench Streets was another little cabin. The stockade included these houses and the well, extended from near the middle of Bench Street nearly to the rear of Campbell's stone house, and along Bench Street from a point nearly opposite Col Strode's residence, east about 200 or 250 feet. A blockhouse was built at the northwest corner. Col Strode lived on the northwest side of Bench Street, a little way west from Perry, and the gate of the stockade was directly opposite his residence.)

If you need a map of Galena to help figure this one out, you can get one from the Convention and Visitors Bureau (www.galena.org).