Based on the reflection in the picture when I was in the antique mall, I drew a sketch of what I thought H. Wallace Gale looked like. It's in my book about H. Wallace Gale. Do you think that I was close with what H. Wallace Gale looked like when comparing my drawing to a picture of his sister? Until I find a picture of H. Wallace Gale, I will not know.
I have tried to walk away from my research about Volo, because I think I am done. But I am always pulled back in when a piece of information comes my way out of no where. I am so pleased to write that a picture of H. Wallace Gale's sister came my way and I was given permission to post (please don't take this photo and use without permission from the owner). This makes me so happy that after 10 years of research I am finally able to begin to see what the family of H. Wallace Gale looked like and perhaps see what H. Wallace Gale may have looked like in a similar fashion. I present Louisa Gale and her husband, Daniel Osman:
Volo was named after Volos, Greece. The city of Volos, Greece is associated with mythology, specifically, the home of Jason, leader of the Argonauts, who set sail from there to retrieve the Golden Fleece. How strange it is that I got involved with the history of Volo, Illinois. It seems to be the center point for an area that involved ancient giants, mounds builders, genocides, the Underground Railroad, mythology and paranormal occurrences. I always seemed to get pulled back after walking away from Volo as something strange comes up in my feeds or research to pull me back for another look.
I am working on a book about the history of Lake County. I came across and purchased a copy of a postcard with the Receiving Station in Volo that is now apartments. I am working on finding out more information about this picture. But this is what it was like to deliver the milk to be shipped out and sold. This is what the Gales would have been doing. Please do not copy and use as I am checking the publishing date and on copyright.
I started this research journey into Volo's history back in 2016 and was really pulled into its mystery. It is a surprise to me that I now have over 40,000 blog hits, at the time of writing this post. Since then, I feel like I got to meet the deceased pioneers in a way after all of my research. The person who died over 150 years ago, H. Wallace Gale, was said to haunt the Volo Antique Mall and the grounds. Since, I started my research, I got to meet the Grams family and learned about them and learned that the grounds their museum was on, was the farm that the Gale family had lived on for several generations. I really liked the Grams family and was glad to see that they worked on a Civil War display and continue to intrigue and evolve in their presentations at the museum. Sadly, one of the founders, Bill Grams passed away in 2020 and his wife passed away last year in 2025. It almost felt like I lost distant family when they passed just like it felt like I lost ancestors in the Civil War when H. Wallace Gale died of Typhoid Fever after joining the Union Army during the Civil War. I also got to meet someone who had lived in the old Volo Gale home before the Grams family bought it, and I really liked this person as well. I got to meet the old mayor of Volo, and liked him. He has also since passed. I even ran into a fan of my book, Ginger, who was with her sister at the antique mall last year (2025) and she took a picture with me.
H. Wallace Gale's name intrigued me the most out of all of my research finds. Most historical documents had him listed as H. Wallace Gale. That name was on the census. I think that was his true birth name as I would see that some other people during that time period would have an initial as their first name and a middle name. I would find one document from the Army records that listed him as "Henry" Wallace Gale. I assumed that was his name and that perhaps he went by "Henry," but now I am rethinking this. I wonder if he went by Wallace. Perhaps, but we'll never know for sure since there are no other records on this. So to honor him, I will also refer to him as H. Wallace, besides Henry and maybe just leave his name as H. Wallace Gale, in any future discussions about him.
I have seen many changes to old Volo since 2016. Several of the old houses on Volo Village Road have been torn down. There are plans to build more modern homes. The corner of Rt 12 and Rt 120 has seen the addition of a giant food store and restaurants. The town is changing. I wonder what the town of Volo will look like in fifty years. I do have a vision. Perhaps, the home that H. Wallace Gale grew up in and that the Grams family and other families lived in will become part of the Museum, eventually. Perhaps it will transition into a historical society building. Perhaps the Volo Museum and Antique Mall will go on for awhile, but then perhaps the land will be sold and also the land around it and homes will be built and an elementary school will also be built for the people. Perhaps, ultimately the school will be built and named after H. Wallace Gale who was a teacher, who died during the Civil War, and who wanted to come home and live his life, get married, have children, and be a teacher and farmer for the remainder of his life. Perhaps, his dream will come true in some strange way. Time will tell. Until then, we can enjoy the museum, the antique mall, the land, the history, and the memories.
Did you know that Mound Builders were all over Lake County and McHenry County and into Chicago and Chicagoland areas? Did you know they are not being acknowledged in Lake County and McHenry County and the mounds are still here in plain sight? Did you know there were tribes here (Illini tribes) that were wiped out by the current acknowledged tribes of the area? Did you know there were red haired giants in Illinois and that our state took the remains of these giants and ancient people, as did several universities and museums? Did you know that Chicago was named after Chief Chicagou? Read more in my new book and documentary titled, Secrets of the Mound Builders (available on Amazon).
Join the new Facebook if you like. So much more to come out. Working on a place for this Historical Society to meet. For now, research is ongoing and looking for people who are interested.
https://www.facebook.com/VoloHistoricalSociety/
