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.
Schlangenberg Nature Reserve the surface where erosion removed large amounts. About 200 million years ago aqueous metal solutions filled the cavernous rocks. Primary ores were created mostly consisting of Sphalerite, Marcasite and Galena. The process continued and the ore close to the surface decomposed due to the influence of carbon dioxide and water. In this process as a secondary ore calamine ZnCO which is known as calamine developed. Presumably the Celts had been the first digging for the calamine in the region. Ancient Celtic and Roman coins dated between 100 BC and 92/93 AD as well as remains of a Roman settlement proved