Keokuk is a city in and a county seat of Lee County,

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...

, United States, along with

Fort Madison Fort Madison is a city and a county seat of Lee County, Iowa, United States along with Keokuk. Of Iowa's 99 counties, Lee County is the only one with two county seats. The population was 10,270 at the time of the 2020 census. Located along the ...

. It is Iowa's southernmost city. The population was 9,900 at the time of the 2020 census. The city is named after the Sauk chief Keokuk, who is thought to be buried in Rand Park. It is in the extreme southeast corner of Iowa, where the Des Moines River meets the

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

. It is at the junction of U.S. Routes 61,

136 136 may refer to: *136 (number) *AD 136 *136 BC 136 may refer to: *136 (number) *AD 136 Year 136 ( CXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar, the 136th Year of the Common Era (C ...

and

218 Year 218 (Roman numerals, CCXVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Severus and Adventus (or, less frequently, year ...

. Just across the rivers are the towns of

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilt ...

and

Warsaw, Illinois Warsaw is a city in Hancock County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,607 at the 2010 census, a decline from 1,793 in 2000. The city is notable for its historic downtown and the Warsaw Brewery, which operated for more than 100 years be ...

, and

Alexandria, Missouri Alexandria is a city in eastern Clark County, Missouri, United States. As of the 2020 census, its population was 105. Alexandria is part of the Fort Madison– Keokuk, IA-MO Micropolitan Statistical Area. History Alexandria was founded i ...

. Keokuk, along with the city of

, is a principal city of the

Fort Madison-Keokuk micropolitan area A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

, which includes all of Lee County, Iowa, Hancock County,

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

and Clark County,

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

History

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. Dr. Samuel C. Muir, a surgeon stationed at Fort Edwards (near present-day

), 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 A steamboat is a boat that is marine propulsion, propelled primarily by marine steam engine, steam power, typically driving propellers or Paddle steamer, paddlewheels. Steamboats sometimes use the ship prefix, prefix designation SS, S.S. or S/S ...

traffic on the Mississippi increased, more European Americans began to settle here. Around 1827,

John Jacob Astor John Jacob Astor (born Johann Jakob Astor; July 17, 1763 – March 29, 1848) was a German-American businessman, merchant, real estate mogul, and investor who made his fortune mainly in a fur trade monopoly, by smuggling opium into China, and ...

established a post of his

American Fur Company The American Fur Company (AFC) was founded in 1808, by John Jacob Astor, a German immigrant to the United States. During the 18th century, furs had become a major commodity in Europe, and North America became a major supplier. Several British co ...

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 Caleb Atwater (December 1778 – March 13, 1867) was an American politician, historian, and early archaeologist in the state of Ohio. He served several terms as a state politician and was appointed as United States postmaster of Circleville, Ohio ...

in 1829: The settlement was part of the land designated in 1824 as a

Half-Breed Tract A Half-Breed Tract was a segment of land designated in the western states by the United States government in the 19th century specifically for Métis of American Indian and European or European-American ancestry, at the time commonly known as ha ...

by the United States Government for allotting land to mixed-race descendants of the Sauk and

Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...

tribes. 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. 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."The Half-Breed Tract"
, Lee County History. Retrieved 1/28/08. 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. 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 Saints pioneers for their handcart journey west; 2,000 Christian Latter-Day Saints passed through the city. 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.'' At one time, because of its position at the foot of the lower rapids of the Mississippi, Keokuk was known as the Gate City. During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, 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 The Western baseball club of Keokuk, Iowa, or Keokuk Westerns in modern nomenclature, was a professional baseball team in the National Association in 1875, the last season of that first professional league. It is considered a major league team by ...

, in 1875. In 1913,

Lock and Dam No. 19 Lock and Dam No. 19 is a lock and dam located on the Upper Mississippi River near Keokuk, Iowa. In 2004, the facility was listed in the National Register of Historic Places as Lock and Dam No. 19 Historic District, #04000179 covering , 7 building ...

was completed nearby on the Mississippi River. The population of Keokuk reached 15,106 by 1930. During the last half of the 20th century, Keokuk became less engaged in Mississippi River trade and more dependent on jobs in local factories. The town celebrated 150 years in 1997.

Geography

Keokuk is in Iowa's southeast corner along the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...

and just northeast of the Des Moines River. Hamilton, Illinois, lies to the east across the Mississippi on

U.S. Route 136 U.S. Route 136 is an east-west U.S. highway that is a spur route of U.S. Route 36. It runs from Edison, Nebraska, at U.S. Route 6 and U.S. Route 34 to the Interstate 74/Interstate 465 interchange in Speedway, Indiana. This is a distance of . U ...

. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. The

lowest point This article lists extreme locations on Earth that hold geographical records or are otherwise known for their geophysical or meteorological superlatives. All of these locations are Earth-wide extremes; extremes of individual continents or coun ...

in the state of Iowa is , located to the immediate south-west of Keokuk where the confluence of the Des Moines and Mississippi Rivers creates a

tripoint A tripoint, trijunction, triple point, or tri-border area is a geographical point at which the boundaries of three countries or subnational entities meet. There are 175 international tripoints as of 2020. Nearly half are situated in rivers, l ...

between Iowa,

and

Climate

Keokuk has a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...

. It is known for having recorded the highest temperature ever in Iowa, , on July 20, 1934.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2010, there were 10,780 people, 4,482 households, and 2,818 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 5,199 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 91.9%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 4.0%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.2% Native American, 0.8%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, < 0.1%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 0.3% from other races, and 2.8% from two or more races. 1.8% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

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 Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

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

of 2000, there were 11,427 people, 4,773 households, and 3,021 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 5,327 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 92.87%

, 3.90%

, 0.27% Native American, 0.52%

, 0.01%

, 0.45% from other races, and 1.99% from two or more races. 1.09% of the population were

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

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 Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $17,144. 11.9% of the population and 8.1% of families were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

. 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.

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 and replaced by a new school on a lot next to the high school. Private education is provided by

Keokuk Catholic Schools Keokuk Catholic Schools, also operating as St. Vincent's Elementary School is a Catholic School in Keokuk, Iowa. It was established circa 1853. It previously consisted of two separate campuses, one being St. Vincent's School and one being Cardinal ...

(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

. Keokuk is also home to a campus of Southeastern Community College. A few miles north of Keokuk is the Galland School, a replica of the first schoolhouse constructed in Iowa.

Arts and culture

Attractions

Lock and Dam No. 19

The Mississippi River

lock and dam Lock(s) may refer to: Common meanings *Lock and key, a mechanical device used to secure items of importance *Lock (water navigation), a device for boats to transit between different levels of water, as in a canal Arts and entertainment * ''Lock ...

along with the hydroelectric power plant, owned and operated by Ameren Missouri, were built in 1913. They still use most of the original equipment. When the plant began operation in August 1913, it was the largest single powerhouse electric generating plant in the world. It is part of the Keokuk Lock & Dam, both of which are visible from a park at the foot of the commercial district. Built in 1913, the old lock was too small to serve the newer, larger barges. It was replaced in 1957 with a 1200' x 110' lock. At the time of construction in 1913, this was the longest dam in the world, with the longest transmission line and the highest voltage in the world. The Chief Engineer was Hugh L. Cooper.

Grand Theater

Designed by Merle F. Baker, the Grand Theatre was constructed on the foundation of the Keokuk Opera House (c. 1880), which burned down in 1923. Modeled after theaters in Chicago, it was praised as one of the finest theaters in the country at the time. The Grand Theatre is owned by the city of Keokuk and used as a performing arts center. The theatre has housed many historically important performers over the years, including John Philip Sousa and

Maynard Ferguson Walter Maynard Ferguson CM (May 4, 1928 – August 23, 2006) was a Canadian jazz trumpeter and bandleader. He came to prominence in Stan Kenton's orchestra before forming his own big band in 1957. He was noted for his bands, which often served ...

Other Attractions

Keokuk National Cemetery Keokuk National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery located in the city of Keokuk, Iowa, Keokuk in Lee County, Iowa. It encompasses , and as of 2021, had over 6,000 interments. It is administered by Rock Island National Cemetery. Histo ...

* Keokuk Veteran's Memorial * Miller House Museum * annual

American Civil War reenactment American Civil War reenactment is an effort to recreate the appearance of a particular battle or other event associated with the American Civil War by hobbyists known (in the United States) as Civil War reenactors, or living historians. Althoug ...

* George M. Verity River Museum.

In popular culture

Keokuk is mentioned among funny place names by Krusty the Clown in ''

The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, ...

'' sixth-season episode "

Homie the Clown "Homie the Clown" is the fifteenth episode of the sixth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 12, 1995. In the episode, Homer becomes a Krusty ...

Sports

Keokuk has deep baseball history that started in 1875 when the

played in the National Association. On May 4, 1875, the Westerns and the Chicago White Stockings (today's

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...

) played the first professional baseball game in Iowa. The

Keokuk Indians The Keokuk Indians was a primary nickname of the various minor league baseball teams based in Keokuk, Iowa between 1875 and 1962. The 1875 Keokuk Westerns franchise were members of the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players, a l ...

minor league team played in the

Iowa State League The Iowa State League was a minor league baseball league that played from 1904 to 1907 and in 1912. The Class D level league had franchises based in Illinois and Iowa. The Ottumwa Snappers won league championships in 1904 and 1905. The Iowa Stat ...

(1904-1907), Central Association (1908-1915),

Mississippi Valley League The Mississippi Valley League (MVL) was a baseball Class D level minor league that operated from 1922 through 1933. Playing its last year as a Class B level league, the league franchises were based in Iowa and Illinois. Like many leagues at the ...

(1929-1933) and Western League (1935). After the Indians (1904-1915, 1929-1933, 1935), Keokuk was home to the Keokuk Pirates (1947-1949), Keokuk Kernels (1952-1957), Keokuk Cardinals (1958-1961) and the

Keokuk Dodgers Keokuk may refer to: *Keokuk (Sauk chief) Entities named after Chief Keokuk: Places: *Keokuk, Iowa, USA *Keokuk County, Iowa, USA *Keokuk Airport, USA * Keokuk-Hamilton Bridge, USA *Keokuk Rail Bridge, USA *Keokuk Avenue, a street in Chatsworth, ...

(1962). The team was an affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals,

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...

and the

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...

. Notable players included baseball pioneer Bud Fowler, 1961 Home Run Record Holder

Roger Maris Roger Eugene Maris (September 10, 1934 – December 14, 1985) was an American professional baseball right fielder who played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He is best known for setting a new MLB single-season home run record with 61 ...

, Player/Announcer Tim McCarver and three time World Series Champion with the New York Yankees Jack Saltzgaver. Keokuk is nicknamed "The Racing Capital of the World" and "Home of Champions" for having many racing drivers win races and championships. Don White was the first driver to impact nationally; he won the 1954, 1955 and 1958 IMCA national championships. White's brother-in-law

Ernie Derr Ernest Vigil Derr (October 29, 1921 – January 8, 2014) was an American stock car racing driver. He won 12 International Motor Contest Association (IMCA) Stock Car championships, made one start in the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Grand National Seri ...

won the 12 IMCA national championships between 1953 and 1971. White helped Dick Hutcherson get started; Hutcherson won the 1963 and 1964 IMCA championship before moving to

NASCAR The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and hi ...

and finishing second in points. Ramo Stott won the 1970 and 1971 ARCA and 1976

USAC Stock Car The USAC Stock Car division was the stock car racing class sanctioned by the United States Auto Club (USAC). The division raced nationally; drivers from USAC's open wheel classes like Indy cars, Silver Crown, sprints, and midgets frequently comp ...

championships. White, Derr, Hutcherson, and Stott were nicknamed "The Keokuk Gang". Ron Hutcherson, Dick's brother, also competed nationally.

Notable people

Edward P. Alexander Edward Porter Alexander (January 11, 1907 – July 31, 2003) was an American historian, museum administrator, educator and writer. He served for nearly 30 years as vice-president for interpretation at Colonial Williamsburg (1946–1972) and foun ...

, author, historian, and educator * Herman C. Baehr, 36th Mayor of Cleveland, Ohio *

William H. Clagett William Horace Clagett (September 21, 1838 – August 3, 1901) was a nineteenth-century politician and lawyer from various places in the United States. He was the uncle of Samuel B. Pettengill. Born in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, Clagett mov ...

, politician * Orion Clemens, first and only secretary of Nevada Territory and brother of Mark Twain * William Lane Craig, analytic philosopher and Christian apologist *

Samuel Curtis Samuel Curtis (born in Walworth, Surrey on 29 August 1779-died at La Chaire, Rozel Bay, Jersey, on 6 January 1860

, military officer *

Mary Fels Mary Fels (, Fels; March 10, 1863 - May 16, 1953) was a German-born American philanthropist, Georgism, Georgist, Zionism, Zionist, Women's suffrage in the United States, suffragist, economics, economist, author, and journal editor. She was interest ...

, philanthropist, suffragist, Georgist * Bud Fowler, first professional African American baseball player *

Nathaniel Lyon Gardner Nathaniel Lyon Gardner (February 26, 1864 – August 15, 1937), was an American phycologist and mycologist who taught at the University of California, Berkeley, where he was the curator of the University Herbarium. He is known for his work on s ...

, botanist, born in Keokuk"Nathaniel Lyon Gardner, Botany: Berkeley"
University of California: In Memoriam, 1937. *

Jerry Harrington Jeremiah Peter Harrington (August 12, 1868 – April 16, 1913) was a professional baseball player whose career spanned six seasons, including four seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Harrington played the majority of his games in the majors at ...

, baseball player *

James B. Howell James Bruen Howell (July 4, 1816 - June 17, 1880) was an American lawyer, newspaper editor, and politician. The son of a Congressman from Ohio, Howell served as an appointed United States senator from Iowa for slightly over one year. Biography ...

, newspaper editor and U.S. Senator, resided in Keokuk *

Howard Hughes Howard Robard Hughes Jr. (December 24, 1905 – April 5, 1976) was an American business magnate, record-setting pilot, engineer, film producer, and philanthropist, known during his lifetime as one of the most influential and richest people in th ...

, aviator, engineer, industrialist, film producer and director, and philanthropist *

Howard R. Hughes, Sr. Howard Robard Hughes Sr. (September 9, 1869 – January 14, 1924) was an American businessman and inventor. He was the founder of Hughes Tool Company. He invented the "Sharp–Hughes" rotary tri-cone rock drill bit during the Texas Oil Boom. He is ...

, businessman and inventor; father of Howard Hughes * Rupert Hughes, novelist, screenwriter, film director, historian; uncle of Howard Hughes * Dick Hutcherson, stock car driver * Ron Hutcherson, stock car driver *

John N. Irwin John Nichol Irwin (December 25, 1844 – December 22, 1905) was an American businessman, politician and diplomat. Among the positions he held were Mayor of Keokuk, Iowa, Governor of Idaho Territory, Governor of Arizona Territory, and U.S. M ...

, Governor of Idaho Territory (1883) and of Arizona Territory (1890–1892) * Edward Kimball, actor *

Lloyd Steel Lourie Lloyd Steel Lourie (September 3, 1877 – March 12, 1959) was an American orthodontist who attended Angle School of Orthodontia in St. Louis and graduated in 1900. He served as president of American Association of Orthodontists for two terms in 1 ...

, orthodontist *

Elsa Maxwell Elsa Maxwell (May 24, 1883 – November 1, 1963) was an American gossip columnist and author, songwriter, screenwriter, radio personality and professional hostess renowned for her parties for royalty and high society figures of her day. Maxw ...

, gossip columnist, socialite *

Edward Joseph McManus Edward Joseph McManus (February 9, 1920 – March 20, 2017) served as the Lieutenant Governor of Iowa and served as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa for over 50 years. Education ...

, U.S. federal judge and Lieutenant Governor of Iowa (1959 – 1961) *

Grace Medes Grace Medes (November 9, 1886 – December 31, 1967) was an American biochemist, who discovered tyrosinosis—a metabolic disorder today known as tyrosinemia—and studied fatty acid metabolism. She was awarded the Garvan-Olin Medal in 1955 for ...

, biochemist * Samuel Freeman Miller, Supreme Court justice *

Conrad Nagel John Conrad Nagel (March 16, 1897 – February 24, 1970) was an American film, stage, television and radio actor. He was considered a famous matinée idol and leading man of the 1920s and 1930s. He was given an Academy Honorary Award in 1940 and ...

, actor and a founder of the Academy Awards *

Richard Page Richard Lewis Page (born 22 February 1941) is a former Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) in the United Kingdom from 1976 to 1979 and from December 1979 to 2005. Early life Born the son of Victor Charles Page, he went to the independent Hu ...

, lead vocalist and bass player for the band Mr. Mister * George Pomutz, Union Army officer and diplomat * Mike Pyle, NFL player *

Palmer Pyle William Palmer Pyle (June 6, 1937 – September 30, 2021) was a former professional American football guard who played in the National Football League (NFL) and the American Football League (AFL). He played for six seasons for the NFL's Baltimo ...

, NFL player * John M. Rankin, Iowa state legislator and judge * Hugh T. Reid, Union Army general *

Jack Saltzgaver Otto Hamlin "Jack" Saltzgaver (January 23, 1903 – February 1, 1978) was an American professional baseball player. The native of Croton, Iowa, as an infielder, appeared in 278 Major League Baseball games for the New York Yankees (1932; 193 ...

, Major League Baseball Player New York Yankees and Pittsburgh Pirates *

Jeremy Soule Jeremy Soule (; born December 19, 1975) is an American composer of soundtracks for film, television, and video games. He has composed soundtracks for over 60 games and over a dozen other works during his career, including ''The Elder Scrolls'', ' ...

composer of video game soundtracks * Frank Steunenberg, Governor of Idaho (1897–1901) * Ramo Stott, stock car driver *

James Vandenberg James Vandenberg (born November 24, 1989) is a former American football quarterback. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Minnesota Vikings in 2013. He played college football at Iowa. High school career Vandenberg went to Keokuk Hi ...

, football quarterback * Don White, stock car driver *

Verner Moore White Verner Moore White (October 5, 1863 - August 30, 1923), born Thomas Verner Moore White but informally known as Verner White, was an American landscape and portrait painter. White painted works for many of the business and political leaders of h ...

, artist, painted oil of Keokuk presented to President Theodore Roosevelt *

Annie Turner Wittenmyer Sarah "Annie" Turner Wittenmyer (August 26, 1827 – February 2, 1900) was an American social reformer, relief worker Humanitarian aid is material and logistic assistance to people who need help. It is usually short-term help until the long-t ...

, social reformer and relief worker

References

External links

City of Keokuk

Keokuk Tourism Website
Keokuk.com
A portal into what is available in Keokuk Iowa

Keokuk Web site
George M. Verity Riverboat Museum

HAER - Mississippi River 9-Foot Channel, Lock & Dam No. 19, Upper Mississippi River, Keokuk, Lee County, IA
Library of Congress *

Comprehensive Statistical Data and more about Keokuk
{{Authority control Cities in Iowa Cities in Lee County, Iowa County seats in Iowa Iowa populated places on the Mississippi River Lowest points of U.S. states