I like visiting Presidents homes. I always learn something new about a President on these visits.  So far in my travels, I’ve visited 12 of these homes.

On a recent trip out to Iowa, I passed through the north-west part of Illinois.  I made a stop in the small city of Galena which sits close to the Mississippi River near the Illinois Iowa border.  I stopped there because Galena is where Ulysses S. Grant had a home.

Grant and Galena

Grant was born in Ohio, but after his first stint in the Army, he moved to Galena to work in his fathers leather goods store.  Grant and his family lived in a rented home in Galena for about a year until he went back into military service in 1861.  After the Civil War, Grant was a national hero.  Although he was still Commander of the Army, Grant came back to Galena to establish a residence.  The town was thrilled to have him back and gave him a home in Galena.  He lived there off and on with his family from 1865 to 1868.

Grant’s home in Galena, IL

During his presidency, Grant visited Galena occasionally and kept the home as his official residence.  His last visit to Galena was in 1880.  In 1904, his children gave the home to the city of Galena to be kept as a memorial to Grant.  In 1931, the city deeded to property to the State of Illinois and it’s been a Sate Historic Park ever since.

The home sits on a pretty knoll in downtown Galena.  It’s on a residential street and there’s limited parking.  I parked my RV in a city lot near the downtown area and walked about 1/4 mile up to the home.  The state gives tours of the house which last about 40 mins and takes you through every room.  The tours are free but a small donation is requested.

Here’s a video I made of the property and the home.

Grant Facts and Info

Here’s some interesting information about Grant that I learned while taking the tour.

• Grant graduated from West Point in 1843.  He left the Army abruptly in 1954 while stationed in Oregon.  He resigned shortly after he had been promoted to Captain.  During 11 yrs of service he had only attained the rank of a junior officer.
• Grants birth name was Hiram Ulysses Grant.  At West Point, his appointment paperwork mistakenly had his name as Ulysses S. Grant.  The paper work could not be change so Grant assume the name Ulysses S. Grant.  The middle initial stood for his mothers maiden name (Simpson).  At West Point his classmates called him Sam.
• Grant was unsuccessful at most business ventures he tried (farming, selling firewood, bill collector).  In 1860, he moved to Galena to work in his fathers leather good store as a traveling salesman.
• In 1860, Grant helped the state of Illinois recruit volunteers for volunteer regiments. Grant was appointed to position of Colonel by the Governor and put in charge of one of these regiments.  After some successes on the battlefield, he was quickly promoted to Brigadier General.  In 1863, Lincoln promoted him to Major General and had him reinstated in the Union Army.  In 1864 he was promoted to Lieutenant General and given command of all the Union armies.  After the war, Congress promoted him to General of the Army, a position which only a handful or people have since held.
• Grant smoked about 20 cigars a day.  It was a habit he started during the Civil War.  Grant died of throat cancer at the age of 63.
• Grant’s wife, Julia Dent, was the first Presidents wife to be called First Lady.  She was also the first First Lady to write her memoirs.

Grant’s home is an interesting place to visit.  About 90% of the furnishings are original to the home.  Unlike most other Presidents, he was not a wealthy man.  The home and furnishings were all given to him.  Julia’s parents had lost everything during the Civil War.  Grant suffered financial losses during his Presidency due to bad investment schemes.

Prior to his death, he was almost penniless.  With the urging of his friend, Mark Twain, Grant wrote his memoirs finishing them just days before he died.  Julia earned over $450,000 in royalties from the book (worth over $12M in 2018).  She died in 1902 and is interred with her husband in Grants Tomb in New York City.