

Many of the red-brick buildings have been torn down, but quite a few have survived. Looking north along Main Street in Galena, Kansas. Same place today: Looking North across 7th St. This is where Route 66 curved into Main St Colorized 1940s picture looking north along Main Street in Galena, Kansas.

Vintage colorized photo from the 1940s, looking North across 7th St. In the following image you can see cars coming from the left (west) along Route 66, turning north into Main St. This lead to a continued decline and a drop in population. During the 1970s, Interstate I-44 bypassed the town entirely cutting the flow of travelers and the mines became exhausted. The segment through Kansas was fully paved by 1929.ĭuring the Great Depression, there were several strikes by United Mine workers, which were subdued with the intervention of the National Guard. Route 66 was laid down through Galena in 1926, incorporating a former mining corridor road Route 66 added to its prosperity. Lead mining brought prosperity to the region and its population reached 30,000 in the early 1900s. There were bloody skirmishes along the border during the Civil War. It is set at the foot of the Missouri Ozarks, in an area that was wooded and set apart as the Cherokee Neutral Lands for the Indians, however it was quickly settled and Kansas became a state of the Union in 1861. The French Louisiana and was purchased by the US in 1803.

Following the discovery of America, Spanish explorer Francisco de Coronado crossed the region in 1541. Kansas has been inhabited for around 10,000 years. Galena is located in Cherokee county, in the southeastern tip of the state of Kansas and Old Route-66 runs through the town with an east to west alignment. Time zone: Central (CST): UTC minus 6 hours. Enable Javascript for a better user experience, and to see the images on this webpage About Galena, Kansas Facts, Trivia and useful informationĮlevation: 900 ft. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. Route 66 American flag US flag made from license plates on Route 66 (the Tag Flag), Galena Kansas.įull size image WolfPack Photography Index to this page Drive Route 66 in Galena KS during your roadtrip!Ĭarterville Oldest Mining Town in Southeastern Kansas
