David G. Bates, builder and first resident...
David G. Bates might well be termed the dean of steamboat captains on the Upper Mississippi River, having captained a crew of French keelboatmen to the lead mines of Galena as early as 1819, prior to his purchase in 1825 of the steam-powered "Rufus Putnam" with which he delivered a cargo of supplies to Fort Snelling.

In the late fall of 1824, Captain Bates was one of six licensed traders in the Rock Island District granted permits by Indian Agent Thomas Forsyth to trade with the Sauk, Fox and Winnebago Indians at the Fever River (Galena) settlements.

A marker in one of Galena's old city cemeteries indicates that Bates was 58 years old when he died in 1850. His widow, Charity, died February 7, 1877, at the age of 77. Bates was the nephew of Moses Bates, who traveled with his sister from Jamestown, VA, the place of his birth, to Missouri, where he founded the city of Hannibal. His house there, built in 1828, was razed by developers in 1989.

On April 16, 1838, Bates sold his Galena property to John Paul D'Zoya, who had arrived in Galena in 1833 (view a site plan). D'Zoya was born in 1792 in the Canton de Grison, Switzerland, and had fought in Napoleon's army. He later married a widow, Julia Burkhard, also of Canton de Grison. She brought with her six children from her first marriage.

Because the Bates family had lived previously in Virginia, the design of the Davis Creek Cottage (so named after the creek that flows through the property to join the Galena River) follows the style used there: 10-foot ceilings, center hall, two rooms deep and kitchen with "flounder" roof. The entire house was built at one time; there are no later additions. It is constructed of Galena brick--both apricot and rose--believed to have been made on the site. Calculations apparently been made by the builders have been found on the backs of some of the bricks that have been pulled to make periodic repairs.

The original six-over-six windows (including the glass) and millwork fashioned from sugar pine, imported from the East, remain in the house today. The woodwork is painted, as it was originally. A number of improvements were installed in 1982 by the former owners, who as diligent preservationists, carefully followed designs appropriate to the period.

The house has been furnished by the hosts with pieces generally consistent with its period, to promote an informal, relaxed, country atmosphere. Take a virtual tour of the property.

The owners of The DeZoya House and Davis Creek Cottage, Frederick G. Tuttle and James J. Zalewski, began their real estate development and management partnership in 1979. Their partnership also offers service in the areas of space planning and design, and business and professional communications. In October, 1991, they incorporated Twigges of Galena, Limited, a gallery of handcrafted gifts and willow furniture, which is located at 120 North Main Street. They purchased The DeZoya House and Davis Creek Cottage in July, 1995.