Knox & Galesburg History

When George Washington Gale set out for the Illinois prairie more than 175 years ago, he fully intended to found both a college and a town, both supporting and sustaining the other. And since their joint founding, Knox College and Galesburg have shared a long history that has survived peace and prosperity, war and depressions, and all the events in between. 

Here are a few highlights of this joint history:

• Knox, Galesburg, and the Underground Railroad 
• Lombard College, Galesburg's second liberal arts college
• Looking for Lincoln in Galesburg
• Carl Sandburg and the rededication of Old Main in 1937