The rolling hills and scope of the Galena Territory make the property one of the state's most dramatic landscapes. In hindsight, it is hard to believe that it wasn't until 1970 that the spectacular 6,800-acre land was developed just outside of Galena to create Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa. 20) brought the community a second economic boom that included restaurants, shops and hotels. Grant Highway in the mid-1920s (now called Hwy. Even though Grant and his family rarely stayed at the home following his election as president, the Grant Home has remains a significant tourist attraction to this day. Wealthy supporters went so far as to build the general a new house as a gift. Grant returned to visit Galena (where he'd run a leather goods store with his brothers) following the Civil War, over 25,000 from across the Midwest descended on the town to greet him. At the height of the lead boom, a remarkable 54 million pounds of lead were shipped annually from a city which had quickly grown to over 10,000 by 1828-a remarkable figure considering that Chicago's population in 1830 was approximately 100.Įven as mining was making Galena a boom town, the area's raw beauty and proximity to rail service and the Mississippi River made it an attractive vacation by the 1850s. As many as 15 steamboats at a time docked along Water Street. Only a few decades into its existence, Galena was the busiest port between St. The hub town of the district was named Galena in 1826. And when a specific corner in Western Illinois was discovered to be rich in this valuable mineral, the Upper Mississippi Lead Mine District was established by the U.S. Long before America declared independence, northwestern Illinois was listed on a French map as "mines de plumb" due to the rich deposits to silver sulfide, calcite, fluorite and lead sulfide found across the region. And as a storyline, no other locality over the entire Land of Lincoln incorporates a colorful history that weaves lead mining together with nine Civil War generals, Mark Twain and luxury lifestyles. As a resort destination, no other property in the state serves up 63 holes of championship golf. Across the 57,915 square miles that make up Illinois, no land compares to the hills and dales that create the breathtaking scenery of The Galena Territory. Over my 31 years of writing up golf course reviews, I am always struck by the superlatives needed to justly describe Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa.
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