The Laudanum Murder of Galena

Nestled amongst the trees in the hills and bluffs of the uppermost northwest corner of Illinois is the little village of Galena. In 1826, it began as a small town named after the technical term for lead sulphide. It rose to incredible wealth and prosperity with its river trade in the 1850s, and because of its lead-rich mines, it became an invaluable asset for the Union during the Civil War.
After the war, however, the mines played out and the river silted in, and the town slowly began to decline over the next century.
In the late 1980s it was acknowledged for its extensive historic and architectural value and has since become one of Illinois’ top tourist destinations.
Over its long lifetime, Galena has seen more than its fair share of triumphs and defeat. Joy and despair. Births and deaths. Lots of deaths; natural, tragic accidents, and the occasional murder… And that is what this little tale is about. A long ago murder of a woman named Eliza Fairchild, as told to me by Eliza Fairchild herself-160+ years after the fact.
And yes, by that, I mean her ghost...