The Founders Reach Galesburg
Land was incredibly important to the founders of Galesburg and Knox College. They were very particular about the kind of land on which they wished to settle. George Washington Gale’s initial sketch of the town and college required cleared land rich with natural resources for farms to thrive. In 1835, an ‘Exploring Committee’ was sent out from Whitesboro, New York to survey the land that would meet the requirements of his plans. While the committee considered northern Indiana and Michigan, they eventually settled on Illinois.1 In September that same year, a ‘Purchasing Committee’ was formed and sent out to purchase suitable land. They decided on Knox County and Gale brought over thirty people to live in a cluster of cabins known as Log City while they constructed the town of Galesburg.2
In ‘A Brief History of Knox College’, Gale writes that having Galesburg and Knox College located on the military tract was an intentional and strategic decision. He refers to this land as ‘the Mesopotamia of the West’ and that “an institution of the first class must be located within the Military Tract”3. He was certain that being situated in between the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers would bring about many people and businesses into the town and create a flourishing community. From his phrasing, it is evident that Gale considered this land to be promising and able to provide the necessary resources for a thriving college and town. By 1837, there were over 30 families settled in the area and Knox College was founded. Alongside the college, a male and female Academy was erected. However, the Panic of 1837 hit the United States and the college was not able to open its doors until 1841. While the college was built on a foundation of anti-slavery sentiment and education for women, the first students to have enrolled at Knox were 16 white men. Despite the economic hardship, by 1845, the town of Galesburg had around 800 inhabitants and was slowly beginning to thrive.
By Riley Jin
1 Gale, George Washington, Jonathan Blanchard, and Caleb Clark. A Brief History of Knox College, Situated in Galesburg, Knox County, Illinois : with Sketches of the First Settlement of the Town Cincinnati: Printed for the Society by C. Clark, 1845, p. 1-10. Located at Knox College Special Collections and Archives
2 Sketch of Log City by Samuel Holyoke, located at Knox College Special Collections and Archives.
3 Gale, George Washington, et al, A Brief History of Knox College.
Image: Samuel Holyoke, Log City Sketch, 1910, Local History Series, Henry M. Seymour Library, Knox College.