Galena, Illinois for mayor and aldermen on May 24, 1841, replacing the board of trustees; Charles S. Hempstead was elected the first mayor with 185 of the 356 votes cast. The first census was also held that year, finding 1,900 inhabitants. By 1845 Galena was producing nearly 27,000 tons of lead ore and Jo Daviess County was producing 80 percent of the lead in the United States. Once one of the most important cities in the state, Galena was a hub on the Mississippi River between St. Louis and St. Paul. Due to erosion, the Galena River is now inaccessible to steamboats.
Galena, Missouri Galena, Missouri Galena is a city in Stone County, Missouri, United States. The population was 440 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Stone County. Galena is part of the Branson, Missouri Micropolitan Statistical Area. Galena was platted in 1852, and named for deposits of the ore galena near the original town site. An early variant name was "Jamestown". A post office has been in operation at Galena since 1853. The last public execution in the United States took place in Galena in 1937. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area