Situated between the Des Moines and Mississippi rivers, the area that became Keokuk had access to a large trading area and was an ideal location for settlers. In 1820, the US Army prohibited soldiers stationed along the Mississippi River from having wives who were Native American.[7] Dr. Samuel C. Muir, a surgeon stationed at Fort Edwards (near present-day Warsaw, Illinois), resigned his commission rather than leave his Indian wife and crossed the river to resettle. He built a log cabin for them at the bottom of the bluff, and became the area's first white settler.
As steamboat traffic on the Mississippi increased, more European Americans began to settle here. Around 1827, John Jacob Astor established a post of his American Fur Company at the foot of the bluff. Five buildings were erected to house workers and the business. This area became known as the "Rat Row".
One of the earliest descriptions of Keokuk was by Caleb Atwater in 1829:
The village is a small one containing twenty families perhaps. The American Fur Company have a store here and there is a tavern. Many Indians were fishing and their lights on the rapids in a dark night were darting about appearing and disappearing like so many fire flies; the constant roaring of the waters, on the rapids the occasional Indian yell, the lights of their fires on the shore, and the boisterous mirth of the people at the doggery attracted my attention occasionally while we were lying here. Fish were caught here in abundance.[8]
The settlement was part of the land designated in 1824 as a Half-Breed Tract by the United States Government for allotting land to mixed-race descendants of the Sauk and Fox tribes.[9] Typically children of European or British men (fur traders and trappers) and Native women, they were often excluded from tribal communal lands because their fathers were not tribal members. Native Americans considered the settlement a neutral ground.[10] Rules for the tract prohibited individual sale of the land, but the US Congress ended this provision in 1837, creating a land rush and instability.[9]
Centering on the riverboat trade, the settlement continued to grow. The village became known as Keokuk shortly after the Blackhawk War in 1832. Why residents named it after the Sauk chief is unknown. Keokuk was incorporated on December 13, 1847. Soon after, Captain W. Clark would be elected as the first mayor. On December 14, 1848, Keokuk was incorporated as a city by the 2nd General Assembly of the State of Iowa.[11]
Barnard States Merriam was elected mayor in 1852 and reelected in 1854.
In 1853, Keokuk was one of the centers for outfitting additional immigrant Latter-Day Saintspioneers for their handcart journey west; 2,000 Christian Latter-Day Saints passed through the city.[12]
Keokuk was the longtime home of Orion Clemens, brother of Samuel Clemens, better known as Mark Twain. Samuel's visits to his brother's home led him to write of the beauty of Keokuk and southeastern Iowa in Life on the Mississippi.[13]
At one time, because of its position at the foot of the lower rapids of the Mississippi, Keokuk was known as the Gate City.[14] During the American Civil War, Keokuk became an embarking point for Union troops heading to fight in southern battles. Injured soldiers were returned to Keokuk for treatment, so several hospitals were established. A national cemetery was designated for those who did not survive. After the war was over, Keokuk continued its expansion. A medical college was founded, along with a major-league baseball team, the Keokuk Westerns, in 1875.
In 1913, Lock and Dam No. 19 was completed nearby on the Mississippi River. The population of Keokuk reached 15,106 by 1930.[15] During the last half of the 20th century, Keokuk became less engaged in Mississippi River trade and more dependent on jobs in local factories.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.58 square miles (27.40 km2), of which 9.13 square miles (23.65 km2) is land and 1.45 square miles (3.76 km2) is water.[17] The lowest point in the state of Iowa is 480 feet (150 m), located to the immediate south-west of Keokuk where the confluence of the Des Moines and Mississippi Rivers creates a tripoint between Iowa, Illinois and Missouri.
Climate
Keokuk has a humid continental climate.[18] It is known for having recorded the highest temperature ever in Iowa, 118 °F (48 °C), on July 20, 1934.[19]
Climate data for Keokuk, Iowa (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1896–present)
As of the census of 2020,[23] there were 9,900 people, 4,138 households, and 2,495 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,088.0 inhabitants per square mile (420.1/km2). There were 4,756 housing units at an average density of 522.7 per square mile (201.8/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 88.2% White, 3.7% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 0.6% from other races and 6.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino persons of any race comprised 2.2% of the population.
Of the 4,138 households, 28.2% of which had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.5% were married couples living together, 8.8% were cohabitating couples, 30.9% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present and 20.9% had a male householder with no spouse or partner present. 39.7% of all households were non-families. 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals, 16.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years old or older.
The median age in the city was 41.4 years. 25.6% of the residents were under the age of 20; 5.3% were between the ages of 20 and 24; 23.0% were from 25 and 44; 24.3% were from 45 and 64; and 21.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.5% male and 51.5% female.
2010 census
As of the census[24] of 2010, there were 10,780 people, 4,482 households, and 2,818 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,170 inhabitants per square mile (450/km2). There were 5,199 housing units at an average density of 565 per square mile (218/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 91.9% White, 4.0% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.8% Asian, < 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.3% from other races, and 2.8% from two or more races. 1.8% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 4,482 households, out of which 31.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.3% were married couples living together, 14.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.1% were non-families. 32.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.94.
Population spread: 24.4% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 23.1% from 25 to 44, 26.7% from 45 to 64, and 17.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.6 males.
2000 census
As of the census[24] of 2000, there were 11,427 people, 4,773 households, and 3,021 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,247.5 inhabitants per square mile (481.7/km2). There were 5,327 housing units at an average density of 581.6 per square mile (224.6/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 92.87% White, 3.90% African American, 0.27% Native American, 0.52% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.45% from other races, and 1.99% from two or more races. 1.09% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 4,773 households, out of which 29.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.8% were married couples living together, 13.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.7% were non-families. 32.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.97.
Population spread: 25.4% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 17.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,586, and the median income for a family was $39,574. Males had a median income of $31,213 versus $21,420 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,144. 11.9% of the population and 8.1% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 15.7% of those under the age of 18 and 13.4% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Keokuk, Iowa at bottom, with the Mississippi River, lock and dam No. 19, power plant, rail bridge and highway bridge.Keokuk Monument, by Nellie Walker
Attractions in Keokuk include:
Lock and Dam No. 19, a hydroelectric power plant located on the Mississippi River. Built in 1913, it was the largest single powerhouse electric generating plant[25] and longest dam in the world, with the longest and highest voltage transmission line in the world.
The Grand Theatre, a performing arts center.
Chief Keokuk Monument, a marble slab and bronze statue marking the grave of Sauk leader Keokuk, erected in 1913 by Nellie Walker.[26]
Keokuk is nicknamed "The Racing Capital of the World" and "Home of Champions" for having many racing drivers win races and championships.[30]Don White was the first driver to impact nationally;[30] he won the 1954, 1955 and 1958 IMCA national championships.[31] White's brother-in-law Ernie Derr won the 12 IMCA national championships between 1953 and 1971.[32] White helped Dick Hutcherson get started; Hutcherson won the 1963 and 1964 IMCA championship before moving to NASCAR and finishing second in points.[30]Ramo Stott won the 1970 and 1971 ARCA and 1976 USAC Stock Car championships. White, Derr, Hutcherson, and Stott were nicknamed "The Keokuk Gang".[33]Ron Hutcherson, Dick's brother, also competed nationally.[30]
People living in the area support athletic teams in Saint Louis, Missouri, differing from other parts of Iowa, which support other sports teams.[34]
Education
The Keokuk Community School District has two elementary schools (George Washington, and Hawthorne), Keokuk Middle School, and Keokuk High School. Several additional elementary schools have been closed over the years (Torrence, Lincoln, Garfield, Wells Carey, and Jefferson). The middle school was damaged by a fire in 2001[35] and replaced by a new school on a lot next to the high school.
Private education is provided by Keokuk Catholic Schools (St. Vincent's School) and Keokuk Christian Academy. Keokuk Catholic previously had a senior high school division, Cardinal Stritch High School; in 2006 it merged into Holy Trinity High School in Fort Madison.[36]
^"Station: Keokuk Lock Dam 19, IA". U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991–2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
^
Shaw, Albert (October 1913). "Dedicating the Great Keokuk Dam". The American Review of Reviews. XLVIII (4). New York: The Review of Reviews Company: 407.
^Danielson, Cathy. "Lee County Monuments". Genealogy Trails History Group. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
^Missy Stowell (April 26, 2016), Seattle!, archived from the original on December 11, 2021, retrieved April 1, 2019
Further reading
For a depiction of Keokuk during its early boom years see:
Michael A. Ross, "Cases of Shattered Dreams: Justice Samuel Freeman Miller and the Rise and Fall of a Mississippi River Town," Annals of Iowa, 57 (Summer 1998): 201-239.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Keokuk, Iowa.
