Galesburg

The origins of Galesburg can be traced to a group of courageous pioneers who came to this gently rolling prairie in 1837 and founded Knox College and the town. The founders were staunch abolitionists, and Galesburg became a major stop on the Underground Railroad. Farmers bought land owned by the college and reaped bountiful harvests from the virgin soil. But, Galesburg was more than just a college and farming community. In the mid— and late—19th century, two major railroads came through town: the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy (CB&Q) and the Atchison, Topeka, & Santa Fe Railroad. The CB&Q built one of the largest rail yards in the nation, and it is still expanding today. Manufacturers took advantage of Galesburg's ready transportation and able workforce, and the once—small town transformed into a successful municipality that offered good jobs and living wages. Small businesses and service companies thrived, and Main Street stores flourished. Images of America: Galesburg contains never—before—published images that show how Galesburg citizens worked, played, and worshipped from the 1880s to the 1960s.