Galena

My host here in Dubuque told me to check out Galena, Illinois. So this morning I drove 30 minutes and parked at the Ulysses Grant house.

A totally amazing older lady gave me a private tour. She was so smart!

She was totally captivating.

She and her husband have lived in this town together for over 50 years. He was born here.

Grant's parents refused to come to his wedding because Julia's parents owned slaves. His family came to love Julia but his father and her father never got along.

I toured the second floor by myself. They had 3 boys and 1 girl. The eldest son had the smallest bedroom and the only one without heat. He wasn't home much though.

In the back of the kitchen, out of sight in this picture, was a copper lined bathtub. On Saturday nights the family would bathe. First the father, then the mother, then each child in descending order and all in the same water.

The daughter's bedroom.

Julia was often more popular than her husband. She was the first lady who was called First Lady.

I was fascinated by all this history. In a shed outside they listed all the President's pets. One had 2 elephants. One had an alligator. Most had horses, dogs, and chickens.

The youngest son was spoiled and a prankster.

Ulysses couldn't make a go at farming nor running a store but he was good at other things.

Such a small stove with a small wood box.

A list of his accomplishments.

After the tour I walked to downtown Galena. I hummed the Beatle's tune, Julia, as I strolled along.

I hung around downtown for an hour or so and then I walked back to Grant's house to have lunch in my car. After that I drove to the art gallery. I walked through the art gallery which is having a exhibition today. I was the first customer to see these paintings. After that I walked down the hill towards downtown. At the bottom of the hill a man was walking. I asked him if this was Main Street. He said it will be Main Street once we cross the highway. We walked together. He told me where to get the best cheese sandwiches. He said I should visit the Belvedere Mansion which was across the Galena River. I did go there later but it was closed today for some reason. The parade was supposed to begin at 2:30 but it actually started at 3. I got a necklace of blue beads! This was the shortest parade I ever saw.

Only five vehicles long.

But we had fun. I visited the River Bend Photography Gallery here. Owned by Geoffrey Mikol, the photography was amazing. Geoffrey has Down Syndrome and 99% of the time, he'll take a better photo than his father. I think it's cool that Geoffrey is making money and raking in a fortune. Then I walked back to the art gallery. I stopped at Piggly Wiggly and drove back in the dark to Dubuque. I had another amazing day.

 

Mathias Ham

Just 3 blocks down from Eagle Park was another historical park so I pulled in here at Mathias Ham Historic Site.

They have a green house.

He made much money selling ham and bacon.

His fortunes ebbed and flowed.

No way am I going in the lead mine. I have had enough exposure to lead working at the nuclear pharmacy where I had to carry radioactive injections in lead pipes.

The oldest one room school house was transported here from some where else. The school houses were also a community gathering place.

 

August Is The Busiest Month

Yes, I went overboard on taking pictures again. Here is a Homer Winslow picture at the Woodward Fine Arts Museum.

I am too cheap to pay for parking so I had to keep repeating 5th and Hill so I could remember where I parked. Another Homer Winslow.

The nice lady at the desk said they have the third largest collection of Homer Winslow art in the state of Iowa.

Here is his door.

His painting of a shepherdess.

The lady at the desk said I should visit the Methodist church about 6 blocks away to see more stained glass. This picture was taken at the art museum.

This picture was taken at the church.

As I walked out I learned that this is the oldest church in the state of Iowa.

Either that is where the choir sings or it is the crying area.

I got back to 5th and Hill by 3:05 so I thought I had time to go the Eagle Park. The art museum had a PBS show playing about how this park was a WPA project.

The park was designed by a landscape architect from Chicago who went to school with Frank Lloyd Wright.

This style of architecture has more horizontal lines. The vertical lines are subdued.

They used rough hewn rock from a mile north of here and local lumber.

I didn't know Dubuque had a lock.

I saw a couple of young guys walking by and I asked if it was Okay for me to be in here. The gate was locked. They said they didn't know. We all laughed.

The Koi pond is dry. I think it's strange that they close the park all winter. Why can't people snowshoe in here? Why can't they rent the buildings for parties and family gatherings?

The man on the PBS video said few people ever see this part so I had to see it.

I love the prairie style.

I wanted to get back to my car by 4:15. I did.

The park has some round areas for family or friends to gather and still feel separate from the other park patrons.

There are many parking places here. I'll bet August is the busiest month.

 

Deer Dike Park

The morning started out sunny and cool so I headed to the other side of the John Deere factory to Deer Dike Park. I walked along a dike road into the Mississippi. As I walked I saw clouds gathering to the north. I was warm enough with two sweaters, a rain coat to break the wind, and my high visibility vest. I just kept my hands inside my sleeves.

I didn't see any boats today. When I arrived there were two trucks with empty boat trailers. I never heard them come in but when I got back the two trucks were gone. Illinois is on the other side of the river.

I am glad I walked in the morning because by the time I finished my lunch in the car that flaky white stuff was falling from the sky. I groaned aloud.

I saw a great blue heron flying south. I saw a belted kingfisher, chickadees, blue jays, crows, a turkey vulture and dark eyed juncos. I thought I saw a small black bear but it turned out to be a guy wearing tan clothes which were the same color as the gravel road and his black dog. He probably wondered why I was taking his picture. As I approached my car some bird or animal was making a rhythmic smacking noise. When I stopped to listen the noise would stop. When I walked the smacking continued. I did this five times before I gave up. Then I went to a grocery store, bought the ingredients for a spinach pie, and went home and baked. This seemed like a good day to have the oven on.