Galesburg, IL - The Potato Face Blind Man Knows What Fake Plants Feel Like

Small Town News

Welcome to Galesburg, Illinois! The town was first settled in 1836 and established to in order to open a manual labor college, which became Knox College. It was home to the first anti-slavery society in Illinois, which was founded in 1837. The fifth Lincoln-Douglas Debate was held on a temporary platform at Knox College. This series of debates helped establish Lincoln as a national figure in the newly formed Republican Party and helped set him up for an eventual run for the Presidency in 1860. Galesburg was also a stop on the Underground Railroad. Carl Sandburg, notable poet and artist, was born in the town in 1878. Sandburg won three Pulitzer Prizes and is most well known for his poetry which focused predominantly on Chicago. Sandburg also wrote The Rootabaga Stories, a collection of short stories originally written for his daughters that are narrated by the Potato Face Blind Man. Many other notable people have called the town home including artist Dorothea Tanning, President Ronald Reagan, Ferris Wheel inventor George Washington Gale Ferris Jr, and many others. We hope you enjoy our visit to this cool little town.

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