Who Lived in Grant's House?

I have been traveling over the last week, and so have had little time to blog or reply to comments.  My apologies.  I visited Galena Illinois, among other places.  Here's proof:

They have a great Mississippi River Museum in Dubuque, Iowa, where I unfortunately forgot to take my camera.  Galena, Illinois, just across the big river, was one of U.S. Grant's homes.  They have a history museum there as well, in a little house that sits on an old lead mine.  You can look down the shaft.  No jokes, please.  They also have a magnificent painting of Grant and Lee meeting at Appomattox, by Thomas Nast.  The photo  below gives no good indication of its size.  The figures are about life size.  Nast was a cartoonist, rather than an artist.  He was primarily interested in story telling (with no risk of flattery involved).  But the painting suggests talent. 

But this is my favorite exhibit:  the glass tube contains a cigar butt dropped by Grant as he walked about the streets of Galena.  There is the smokin' end of history. 

Comments

[Galena/Jo Daviess County CVB]

Glad to see you made a trip to Galena and Jo Daviess County, IL! Only here can you find the "smokin' end of history." Hope you can make another trip again! From your friendly hosts for visitor information... Galena/Jo Daviess County CVB