Keosauqua ( ) is a city in Van Buren 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. The population was 936 at the time of the 2020 census. It is the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

of Van Buren County.

History

Keosauqua was laid out in 1839. The word Keosauqua derives from the

Meskwaki The Meskwaki (sometimes spelled Mesquaki), also known by the European exonyms Fox Indians or the Fox, are a Native American people. They have been closely linked to the Sauk people of the same language family. In the Meskwaki language, th ...

and Sauk name for the

Des Moines River The Des Moines River () is a tributary of the Mississippi River in the upper Midwestern United States that is approximately long from its farther headwaters.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe Na ...

, "Ke-o-saw-qua", which literally translates as "Bend in the River". The Hotel Manning, a three-story relic from the Des Moines River's steamboat days, is Keosauqua's most notable landmark. Its unique Steamboat Gothic architecture mimics riverboats of the mid-1800s. The hotel was placed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in April 1973. Also located in Keosauqua are many other notable historic sites. The 1847 Pearson House was a stop on the

underground railroad The Underground Railroad was a network of clandestine routes and safe houses established in the United States during the early- to mid-19th century. It was used by enslaved African Americans primarily to escape into free states and Canada. ...

. The Van Buren County Courthouse, built in 1843 in the Greek Revival style, is the oldest in continuous use in the state, and second-oldest in the United States. It is also on the

. The courthouse was the scene for the murder trial of William McCauley. A guilty verdict led to his subsequent demise at, appropriately, Hangman's Hollow. It was the first legal hanging in Iowa history. When

Brigham Young Brigham Young (; June 1, 1801August 29, 1877) was an American religious leader and politician. He was the second President of the Church (LDS Church), president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), from 1847 until his ...

and his followers were exiled from their base at Nauvoo, Illinois in 1846, their caravan crossed the Des Moines River at Ely's Ford, just upriver from Keosauqua on what is now known as the Mormon Trail. Van Buren County native Voltaire Twombly received the Congressional

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...

for actions taken at Ft. Donelson during the American Civil War. His post-war pursuits included a stint as mayor of Keosauqua and, as a businessman there, he built a stone building on the main street that remains to this day. The 1839 Honey War, so named because three trees with beehives were cut down in the process, was fought south of Keosauqua in what is now Lacey-Keosauqua State Park. The event was a border disagreement between Iowa and Missouri. Before it was over, militias from both sides faced each other, though the dispute was ultimately resolved without a shot being fired. Lacey-Keosauqua is one of the largest state parks in Iowa and was built by the

Civil Conservation Corps The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a voluntary government work relief program that ran from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men ages 18–25 and eventually expanded to ages 17–28. The CCC was a major part of ...

during the Great Depression. The lake bathhouse and lodge stone work, from stone quarried within the park, remain outstanding testament to their work. Keosauqua hosts its annual Fall Festival the second full weekend in October.

Geography

Keosauqua is located at (40.732089, -91.963027). Keosauqua is in the Southern Iowa Drift Plain, formed by Pre-Illinoian glaciers approximately 300,000 years ago. The topography of the area is heavily forested rolling hills, interspersed with farmland, and has many tributaries flowing into the

. The Des Moines was large enough to handle steamboat traffic in the 1800s and was the reason that Keosauqua was founded. 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.

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 1,006 people, 459 households, and 251 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was . There were 515 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.6%

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 ...

, 0.4%

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 ...

, 0.9%

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% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.0% from two or more races.

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 were 1.1% of the population. There were 459 households, of which 20.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.1% were married couples living together, 7.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 45.3% were non-families. 41.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 23.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.06 and the average family size was 2.79. The median age in the city was 50.9 years. 17.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 18.5% were from 25 to 44; 28.3% were from 45 to 64; and 28.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.9% male and 53.1% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,066 people, 467 households, and 270 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 505 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.59%

, 0.19%

, 0.28%

, and 0.94% from two or more races.

of any race were 0.09% of the population. There were 467 households, out of which 24.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.5% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.0% were non-families. 38.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 24.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.10 and the average family size was 2.77. Age spread: 19.9% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 19.5% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 31.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 49 years. For every 100 females, there were 77.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 73.9 males. The median income for a household in the city was $27,833, and the median income for a family was $37,063. Males had a median income of $25,489 versus $19,904 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 $16,097. About 7.7% of families and 12.1% of the population 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 ...

, including 14.5% of those under age 18 and 12.7% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The community is served by the Van Buren County Community School District. It was previously in the Van Buren Community School District, until it merged into Van Buren County CSD on July 1, 2019. Keosauqua is home to the Van Buren Warriors at Van Buren High School; Harmony High School consolidated into it at the end of the 2015–2016 school year as part of a grade-sharing arrangement. In 2018 the Van Buren district voted to merge with the Harmony Community School District.

Government

Keosauqua is the location of Iowa's oldest

courthouse A courthouse or court house is a building that is home to a local court of law and often the regional county government as well, although this is not the case in some larger cities. The term is common in North America. In most other English-spe ...

in continuous use; it was built in 1840. The adjacent Hangman's Hollow is the site of the first legal

hanging Hanging is the suspension of a person by a noose or ligature around the neck.Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed. Hanging as method of execution is unknown, as method of suicide from 1325. The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' states that hanging i ...

in the state of Iowa.

Notable people

Josiah H. Bonney Josiah Hinman Bonney (February 14, 1817 – September 12, 1887) was an American businessman and politician. Born in Steuben County, New York, Bonney moved to Iowa Territory and eventually settled in Keosauqua, Van Buren County, Iowa Territ ...

(1817–1887), Iowa Secretary of State and territorial legislator. * Smith W. Brookhart (1869–1944) US Senator from Iowa * Henry Clay Caldwell (1832–1915)

United States federal judge In the United States, federal judges are judges who serve on courts established under Article Three of the U.S. Constitution. They include the chief justice and the associate justices of the U.S. Supreme Court, the circuit judges of the U.S. ...

and Union Army officer. * Caroline Matilda Dodson (1845–1898), physician *

Sallie Fox Sarah (Sallie) Estelle Fox Allen (1845 – 7 February 1913) was a California pioneer and a member of the ill-fated Rose–Baley Party, the first emigrant wagon train to attempt the journey from New Mexico to California via Beale's Wagon Road. A t ...

(1845–1913), California pioneer who spent her childhood in KeosauquaCheney, J.W. (1915)
"The Story of An Emigrant Train"
''The Annals of Iowa'', Vol. 12, No. 2, pp. 82–83. * James B. Howell (1816–1880), newspaper editor and U.S. Senator, resided in Keosauqua *

Leonard John Rose Leonard John Rose (1827 - May 17, 1899) was a California pioneer and politician who served in the California State Senate. He was one of the leaders of the ill-fated Rose-Baley Party, the first emigrant wagon train to attempt the journey from Ne ...

(1827-1899), California pioneer and leader of the

Rose–Baley Party The Rose–Baley Party was the first European American emigrant wagon train to traverse the 35th parallel route known as Beale's Wagon Road, established by Edward Fitzgerald Beale, from Zuni Pueblo, New Mexico to the Colorado River near presen ...

who lived in Keosauqua from 1848 to 1858 *

Theodosia Burr Shepherd Theodosia Burr Shepherd (October 14, 1845, Keosauqua, Iowa – September 6, 1906, Ventura, California) was an American botanist, horticulturist and pioneer in plant breeding. Called the "Flower Wizard of California," and "The Pioneer Seed-grow ...

(1845–1906), botanist *

Phil Stong Philip Duffield Stong (January 27, 1899 – April 26, 1957) was an American author, journalist and Hollywood scenarist. He is best known for the 1932 novel ''State Fair'', which was adapted as a film three times ( 1933, 1945 and 1962) and as a B ...

(1899–1957), an American author, journalist and Hollywood scenarist. He is best known for writing the novel ''

State Fair A state fair is an annual competitive and recreational gathering of a U.S. state's population, usually held in late summer or early fall. It is a larger version of a county fair, often including only exhibits or competitors that have won in th ...

'', upon which three films were based; one starring Will Rogers (1933) and two that were

Rodgers and Hammerstein Rodgers and Hammerstein was a theater-writing team of composer Richard Rodgers (1902–1979) and lyricist-dramatist Oscar Hammerstein II (1895–1960), who together created a series of innovative and influential American musicals. Their popular ...

musicals (1945 and 1962). * Voltaire P. Twombly, (1842–1918), Iowan politician, businessman and Medal of Honor recipient for the American Civil War, is buried in Keosauqua. Twombly briefly served as mayor of Keosauqua, where he had worked as a merchant. *

Edward K. Valentine Edward Kimble Valentine (June 1, 1843 – April 11, 1916) was an American Republican Party politician. Biography Born in Keosauqua, Iowa, he attended common schools and learned to become a printer. During the Civil War he was a member in the ...

(1843–1916) US Representative from

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...

* George G. Wright (1820–1896) US Senator from Iowa

Gallery

File:KeosauquaIowa2.jpg, Historic Hotel Manning, built in the 1890s. File:KeosauquaIowa3.jpg, Closeup of Hotel Manning, showing the "steamboat style" design. File:KeosauquaIowa4.jpg, Street scene, downtown Keosauqua. File:Franklin Pearson House.jpg, Franklin Pearson House, listed on the

Footnotes

External links

City-Data
Comprehensive Statistical Data and more about Keosauqua
Keosauqua Chamber of Commerce

{{authority control Cities in Iowa Cities in Van Buren County, Iowa Populated places on the Underground Railroad County seats in Iowa Populated places established in 1839 1839 establishments in Iowa Territory