Hezekiah Gear arrived in Galena in 1827.  He boasted of being a veteran of the Navy and being aboard the USS Lawrence during the battle of Lake Erie.  According to legend, Gear retrieved the American Flag from the ship and presented it to Admiral Perry as he disembarked.  Perry later bestowed the flag on Gear as a reward for his bravery.  Unfortunately, there is no evidence that Gear was ever aboard the USS Lawrence, thus the flag's origin is unconfirmed.

Gear's accomplishments in Galena can be confirmed:

• 1832 - enlisted in Black Hawk War
• 1834 - helped establish the Grace Episcopal Church
• 1835 - elected Treasurer
• 1838 - elected to Board of Trustees
• 1841 - elected Alderman
• 1845 - found guilty of claim jumping by US Supreme Court
• 1849 - elected State Senator
• 1855 - helped establish Gas Light Company of Galena

Sources:

• Gear, Hezekiah H - Papers of Abraham Lincoln
• Captain Hezekiah H Gear - find-a-grave
• United States vs Hezekiah Gear
• The Curious Case of Hezekiah Gear