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A Message From the App Creator,

Hi, my name is Paula Schonhoff, and I am the creator of the Galena Tours App.  As a Galena native and lifelong resident, I formulated a deep appreciation for the town I call home.  I became interested in Galena’s rich heritage as a teenager, while working as a tour guide.   After college, I was employed by the Galena School District where I worked for thirty-four years as a 4th grade teacher.  While teaching Social Studies, I always included a unit on Galena History.  My students and I would take field trips to historical sites such as Grant's Home, the Market House, Blacksmith Shop, Dowling House, Old Stockade, and Washburne House.  I was impressed by the children’s interest and pride as they discovered the history of their home town.  After I retired, I decided to take the opportunity to further explore the town’s heritage.  I wanted to share Galena’s unique history with others, and therefore I decided to create a comprehensive app that would be a virtual tour of the town’s past.  I was amazed by the amount of information available and quickly became captivated by the culture of centuries past.  The project took over three years to complete.   I spent roughly two years gathering data from files in the Callahan House: Office for Illinois Historic Preservation Agency and from the Galena Library's Historical Collections Room.  This endeavor included access to the Alfred Mueller Historic Photo Collection and past issues of the Galena Gazette.  I photographed all of the historic sites and obtained archival pictures illustrating these locations from years long past.  I then cross-referenced this information with local historians.  The task was epic, as the town’s history proved to be vast and awe- inspiring.  The more I learned, the deeper my appreciation grew.  This exploration of the past gave me a new perspective on the present.  And with that said, I proudly present to you the Galena Tours App.  I hope you find it to be meaningful and enlightening.

Privacy Policy

Galena Tours will never, under any circumstances, share customer data with any other entity for any reason.  All financial information is sent directly to Google or Apple for processing, and data sent is bound by their privacy policies.

While using the app, your location is captured in order to navigate through the tours. Location data is not stored or shared, and is only in memory while the app is active.