Was I close?

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.

Courtesy Bob Baskette (Thanks Bob) for picture of Louisa Gale

Volo named after Volos, Greece

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.

Jason and Medea - as depicted by John William Waterhouse, 1907. (Public Domain)

Secrets of the Mound Builders

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).

Book:

https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Mound-Builders-Rita-Moran/dp/B0CT3QDLMM/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2N9PYYO2W5NOB&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.P6TGYH2MsRyxmwA-Vnq-BFWSW41ALrqJf-pfm-3q0fJlHm27jlTfcqFrlFCOf0wqrLgPNDG5eHoQXiBrQmdM64WFx314gYNw_ziFrk6EeUa_tkeHtS28KpCCzXxTuOHsZAh_32Mk3x5_Ep7Fu2UE9pQWC-KQdPfXUHmwSWLhlx-W_WiQGWqazvT5uHHUZ7su6QLb662g9tVLniEm2xPPa79BJ9mRmI0HzgJXVzz397o.LDo1bjbubFSUtVEzIOtklrpEkwDSwNJokYrL5OaJJTE&dib_tag=se&keywords=secrets+of+the+mound+builders&qid=1717513284&sprefix=secrets+of+the+mound+builders%2Caps%2C128&sr=8-1

Documentary:

https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Mound-Builders-Rita-Moran/dp/B0D36P4GK3/ref=sr_1_4?crid=2N9PYYO2W5NOB&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.P6TGYH2MsRyxmwA-Vnq-BFWSW41ALrqJf-pfm-3q0fJlHm27jlTfcqFrlFCOf0wqrLgPNDG5eHoQXiBrQmdM64WFx314gYNw_ziFrk6EeUa_tkeHtS28KpCCzXxTuOHsZAh_32Mk3x5_Ep7Fu2UE9pQWC-KQdPfXUHmwSWLhlx-W_WiQGWqazvT5uHHUZ7su6QLb662g9tVLniEm2xPPa79BJ9mRmI0HzgJXVzz397o.LDo1bjbubFSUtVEzIOtklrpEkwDSwNJokYrL5OaJJTE&dib_tag=se&keywords=secrets+of+the+mound+builders&qid=1717513302&sprefix=secrets+of+the+mound+builders%2Caps%2C128&sr=8-4

Dead Soldiers, Vintage, and Automobiles

My latest book on Volo and Lake County about the pioneers of Volo and now the stories of Native Americans and mysterious Mound Builders and massacres in Lake County from long ago.  So much more including the bones of giants found all over Lake County, Illinois.  More to come on all of this.

The Old Volo Creamery

I believe this building was the old Volo creamery.  It has been converted to apartments.  There is an old sign next to it that has mostly deteriorated away, but you can see part of the print at the bottom and it says, "Bottles & Cans."

The Gales of Volo

I found out how the brother of Henry Wallace Gale died. I'm not ready to reveal it yet as it is a mind blower and goes along with the rest of the history of Volo and similar towns across America after the Civil War.  I'm still fleshing out the details and have now committed myself into writing a 2nd book about the Gale family of Volo which will discuss the history of the town and what happened to the Gale family after the Civil War and up until today.

My goal is to eventually find a picture of the family of Gardner Gale and so far it has proven to be a very hard task.  When my research is ready, I will reveal more surprising history of the Gale family and pioneer days of Volo.

Was the Town of Volo Named after the Greek Town of Volos?

I have found some information online that suggests that the town of Forksville, Illinois was renamed to Volo at the suggestion of a Greek resident who was naming it after the town of Volos in Greece.  I am still trying to determine if this information is correct.  There is a town in Greece named Volos and it is very beautiful.  Considering that the Gales were probably descendants of the Greek Trojans, this is very appropriate as many Gales settled in what is now Volo, Illinois.

Volos, Greece at night

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volos#/media/File:Volos-bynight.JPG

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volos


Here is the official seal of Volos, Il (looks like a Phoenician ship which is very appropriate).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volos#/media/File:Volos_Siegel.png

The name was changed on November 27, 1868.

- History of Lake County, by John J. Halsey, LL.D, Illinois , University of Chicago Library,  1912, page 626 of 904. 

Town of Volo (Forksville) Started with 150 People

Another antiquated book I came across, was written by the man that defeated Gardner Gale in 1858 for Congress, Elijah M. Haines.  The book called, Historical and Statistical Sketches of Lake County, was written in 1852 and states that about 150 people were in Forksville (Volo) and about 200 in Wauconda to begin with.  Here are some screenshots from this old book that is found online:

It appears that the family of H. Wallace Gale was in Forksville, Il by 1854 (from previous research), but there were other related Gales who were in Forksville as revealed in my book.  This now gives me a good idea of the number of pioneers (150) who settled Forksville, IL. now known as Volo, IL.

Photograph of Elijah M. Haines, Illinois politician from Lake County and former Speaker of the Illinois House.

Volo Auto Museum & Haunted Tour

I've been to the Volo Auto Museum multiple times with family and highly recommend it. They have a host of various exhibits and cars ranging from classics to hollywood to historical cars. There is a bit of history in each car they display.  In addition to the cars, they also have a Military Museum with many original artifacts.  It's very good as well.  The grounds have a lot of room to walk around or sit and they have a pizza cafe (ShowBiz) on site as well.   Often times, they have live events (bands, sleep-overs, etc.) and are open most of the year.

http://www.volocars.com/

In addition to their museum, the antique barn and antique malls have many things to look at and purchase.  I've never seen so many interesting things and each time I go, it seems there is something always new.

But, as I have already discussed, their antique barn seems to be haunted by a Civil War ghost and possibly others as well.   I wrote a book about my research and experiences there.  In addition to the stories and the old cemetery across the street, the Volo Auto Museum does a haunted trolly tour in the fall.  Last year I took this tour in October.   It was quite interesting.  I won't give too much away, but the most interesting thing of all was a display case (shown only on the tour) that showed the items found under the floorboard in the old farmhouse.  It included an old Civil War knapsack, a gun, some letters, and a case.  Here is a picture of it:

At the time I went on the tour, I hadn't received the federal records regarding Henry Wallace Gale, yet. After I received them, I was surprised to see what was listed as returned to the Gale family. It included clothing, a knapsack, and a few other written items I could not read.  Here is a copy of that record:

After a lot of research,  I believe one of the items listed that was hard to read, was a Walch gun. This Civil War era gun was commonly purchased by Union soldiers at the time and a picture of it found online seems very close to what was in the case.

I would highly recommend that the Grams family continue to look under the floorboards in the old farmhouse for Henry Wallace Gale's clothes and perhaps they could use a noninvasive method to find them without lifting up all the wood (or look near where the knapsack was found).

Here are some more pictures from the Volo Auto Museum:

Did Henry Wallace Gale Teach in a Log School House?

I found a reference to an old log school in Volo.  Did Henry teach in this school before he went to war?  It seems to have been replaced by a frame school.  Perhaps he did, but research is ongoing.  Here is a screenshot of the mention:







- History of Lake County, by John J. Halsey, LL.D, Illinois , University of Chicago Library,  1912, page 725 of 904. 

The Old Volo Post Office

A small blurb about the Gales (multiple cousins and brothers had moved to Forksville/Volo) and the Volo (Forksville) post office was found in an antiquated book.  Here is a screenshot:

- History of Lake County, by John J. Halsey, LL.D, Illinois , University of Chicago Library,  1912, page 626 of 904.

The Gale Family and Education

In addition to being staunch abolitionists, the Gale family was not only involved in farming, law, and politics, but also in education.  Later on as the Civil War progressed, their cousin in Wisconsin was involved in Sanitation which was very much needed due to the number of Civil War deaths involving water and food contamination.   

Judge George Gale was a third cousin of Henry Wallace Gale per my preliminary research from ancestry.com.  Judge George Gale was one of the founders of Galesville, Wisconsin and Gale College.  He was a member of the Free Soil Party, a lawyer, a judge, and an educator.  He also wrote a book on the Gale family history.  Here is what Wikipedia says about him:

George Gale (November 30, 1816 – April 18, 1868) was a Wisconsin pioneer, judge, and legislator.  Born in Burlington, Vermont, Gale was admitted to the Vermont bar. He then moved to Wisconsin Territory, where he practiced law in Walworth County, Wisconsin serving as District Attorney and as a member of the second Wisconsin Constitutional Convention of 1847-1848.^[1]In 1850-1851, Gale served as a Free Soil Party member of the Wisconsin State Senate's 14th District.^[2] Gale moved to La Crosse, Wisconsin, where he became a Wisconsin county judge and then was elected a Wisconsin Circuit Court judge. Gale bought land north of La Crosse and helped plat the city of Galesville, Wisconsin in order to found Gale College; he is responsible for the creation of Trempealeau County, Wisconsin.^[3] During the American Civil War, Judge Gale served with the United States Sanitary Commission. He died in Galesville.^[4][5]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Gale_(Wisconsin_politician)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galesville,_Wisconsin


Here is a picture of him, courtesy of
 http://www.wisconsincentral.net/Towns/Towns/Galesville.html

Judge George Gale

With this picture, you can see the characteristic Welsh Gale family long face, curly hair and taller, slim features of the Gales.

There is also a Galesburg, Illinois that was involved with the underground railroad and was founded by another George Gale as well who was also involved in education and the founding of Knox College.  I have not yet concluded his family relationship to the Volo Gales.   Per Wikipedia:

Galesburg was founded by George Washington Gale,^[3] a Presbyterian minister from New York state who dreamed of establishing a manual labor college (which became Knox College). A committee from New York purchased 17 acres (0.069 km²; 0.027 sq mi) in Knox County in 1835, and the first 25 settlers arrived in 1836. They built temporary cabins in Log City near current Lake Storey, just north of Galesburg, having decided that no log cabins were to be built inside the town limits.

George Washington Gale (fair use)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galesburg,_Illinois

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Washington_Gale


As I have revealed in my book about Henry Wallace Gale, he was a teacher.  I did find an old school in Volo that was converted to a business.  I am still trying to research and determine if this was the school he taught at and it appears it may be as it is not very far from the Gale home in Volo, IL.  I took a few pictures of the old building that was modernized and it still has the old chalkboards inside.  The inside of the old Volo School that has now been converted in to a business

https://pixabay.com/en/old-school-room-school-room-527044/

It also appears that H. Wallace Gale's family were the pioneers in Volo, Il (Forksville, IL.), but whether they were the first is something I am still researching.  Without a doubt, the Gale family had their act together for the times, and were organized with a large number of family members and a method that involved their participation in education, politics, law, sanitation, farming, and finally soldiers of the Union.  We can learn a lot from the Gales.  Too bad, there are not a lot of them around, today because we are indebted to them for our quality of life in America.

Gardner Gale - H. Wallace Gale's Father

If you look hard enough you can find out many things about the past, hidden away in esoteric and antiquated books.  The subject of interest at a haunting, Henry Wallace Gale, was a young man who had everything to live for before he died suddenly during the Civil War from Typhoid Fever.  His father, Gardner Gale, moved the family to Volo, Illinois from Vermont and was active in the community.  From the book, The Past and Present of Lake County, Illinois by Brookhaven Press/Schuler Books (originally printed in 1877) we can find a quick summary about Henry Wallace Gale's father.  His father was married twice which was not uncommon as many women died from childbirth complications back then.  He had four children with his first wife, Sophronia Smith, and he had six children by his second wife, Louisa Williams. He moved the family to Volo, Illinois in 1853. He was the Road Commissioner and School Director.  He was a farmer who owned 339 acres of land that was worth $8000 back in 1854.  His son, Henry Wallace Gale, who was a teacher at the Volo school, died at the age of twenty, in a hospital on February 16, 1863 in Nashville, Tennessee, after enlisting in the Union Army.

Civil War Soldiers of Volo

There are nine Civil War Union soldiers buried/honored via cenotaph in the Volo Cemetery (maintained by Wauconda Township).  Four died during the war (three from disease and one in battle), one died shortly after returning, and the last four returned to live out their lives.

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H. Wallace Gale:

The first that soldier that has been studied was a young man who lived on the farm owned by his family that is now the Volo Auto Museum.  His name was Henry Wallace Gale (H. Wallace Gale).  He died at the age of 20 from Typhoid fever, in a hospital, on February 16, 1863 in Nashville, Tennessee.

Eleazar Graves:

Eleazar Graves died at 21 in a hospital on July 13, 1863 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

Burr Ackley:

Burr Ackley died at 29 in battle as a seargent in the Battle of Chickamauga, Georgia on September 20,1863.

Nelson Huson:

Nelson Huson died at age 22, in  a hospital on January 04, 1865 in Columbia, Tennessee.

Lewis Weatherly:

Lewis Weatherly made it home but died shortly afterwards (probably due to a disablity acquired during the war).

Robert E. Walton:

Robert E. Walton made it home to live out his life.

John H. Walton:

John. H. Walton made it home to live out his life.

Andrew J. Raymond:

Andrew J. Raymond made it home to live out his life.

Amelius Ames:

Amelius Ames made it home to live out his life.