Galesburg, a city and the county seat of Knox co., Illinois, on the .Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy railroad, at the junction of the Burlington and Peoria branches, 160 m. W. S. W. of Chicago and 40 m. E. by N. of Burlington, Iowa; pop. in 1860, 4,953; in 1870, 10,158, of whom 3,136 were foreigners. It is surrounded by a rich farming region, and has an active trade. The machine shops and stock yards of the railroad company are situated here, and the city also contains three large founderies, a manufactory of agricultural implements, and two hotels. It is noted as the seat of Lombard university (Universalist), organized in 1857, which in 1871-2 had 11 professors and instructors, 165 students (32 collegiate), and a library of 3,300 volumes; and of Knox college (Congregational), organized in 1841, which had 15 professors and instructors, 329 students (63 collegiate), and a library of 6,200 volumes. Both institutions admit females. There were 27 public schools in 1872, including a high school, having 56 teachers and 2,821 pupils. The city library contains 6,500 volumes, and that of the young men's library association 4,000 volumes.

There are three national banks, with $350,000 capital, a daily, a semi-weekly, and two weekly newspapers, a monthly periodical (Swedish), and 15 churches, of which three are Swedish, one German, and two colored.