Born in Galena in 1859 to B.F. and Ann Felt, Anna would make a name for herself as the champion and founder of the Galena Public Library, an outspoken citizen, and a proud Galena historian.

Anna lived high on Quality Hill, just a few houses down from the famous Felt Manor guest house (Anna's home is still a private residence) owned by her uncle Lucius Felt.  She watched as the steamboat trade floated away and Galena sunk into economic ruin. Though she traveled extensively in the United States and Europe, she always returned to her dear Galena.

Anna's finest legacy by far is the Galena Public Library, which she established along with Galena's philanthropic citizens including her father and the Honorable David Sheehan. The library opened above the post office in 1894 to great fanfare. When space ran out, Anna began the campaign for a new library building. With a grant from the Carnegie Foundation and sizable funding from the Felt Estate, the new library opened on Bench Street in 1907 and has been a cornerstone of Galena culture ever since.  But that was not the end of Anna's story.  Many articles by and about her appeared in Galena's newspapers throughout her 93 year life - and we encourage you to explore them!