Keokuk, Iowa

Lee County

19-40845

Keokuk [ ki ː əkʌk ] is a small town and next to Fort Madison is one of two administrative seats of Lee County in the southeast of the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was in 2000 at 11,427.

The town lies at the mouth of the Des Moines River in the Mississippi River at the intersection of three states of Iowa, Missouri and Illinois.

The name of the town goes back to the Chief Keokuk of the tribe of the Sauk, whose grave is located at the northern edge of the city center in Randpark.

Geography

Keokuk is located at 40 ° 24'09 " north latitude and 91 ° 23'40 " west longitude. The city covers an area of 27.4 km ² which 23.7 km ² land and 3.7 km ² water surface spread.

Keokuk is located at the mouth of the Missouri state line forming Des Moines River in the Mississippi River. This forms the border with Illinois. At the confluence of the two rivers is with 146.3 meters of the point with the lowest sea level in Iowa.

In Keokuk meet the U.S. Highways 61, 136 and 218 together. The Highways 61 and 136 run in a southwesterly direction together on a bridge over the Des Moines River in the 8.4 km distant Alexandria in Missouri. Highway 136 leads in a westerly direction across a bridge over the Mississippi River at 4,7 km from the center of the opposite Hamilton in Illinois. To the north there are 34 km of the Highways 61 and 218 to Fort Madison.

The nearest major cities are Davenport 191 km upstream in the north- north-easterly direction, Des Moines 288 km to the northwest and St. Louis 291 km downstream in a southeasterly direction.

History

Keokuk was at the center of the rapids on the Mississippi and therefore for navigation on the river of importance. One of the earliest descriptions of Keokuk comes from 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 fireflies; 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.

The place is very small, maybe 20 families live in it. The American Fur Company has a branch here and there is a pub. Many Indians were fishing in the river and their lights at the rapids reminded on a dark night by their constant appearance and disappearance of fireflies; the steady murmur of the water, the occasional cries of the Indians, the light of their fire on the shore and the exuberant cheerfulness of the people ... sometimes tied my attention while we were here. This fish was caught in abundance.

Of persecution for Mormons fled Missouri settled in 1839 in Keokuk on. Your congregation was an offshoot of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in what was then the center of Nauvoo, Illinois. Most members of this religious community moved in 1846 to the west. 1853 Mormon pioneers commemorated the train to the west with a train of 2000 people through the city of Keokuk.

Keokuk was long the home of Orion Clemens, brother of the well-known as Mark Twain Samuel Clemens. Meanwhile, visits to his brother inspired him to the descriptions of Keokuk and the southeast Iowa in his book Life on the Mississippi.

In 1850, Keokuk had 2,475 inhabitants, in 1930 there were already 15,106.

1875 included the Keokuk Westerns of the founding members of the National Association, and thus the first professional league in baseball.

Demographic data

In the census of 2000 a population of 11,427 was determined. These distributed to 4,773 households in 3,021 families. The population density was 481.7 / km ². There were 5,327 buildings, which corresponds to a site density of 224.5 / km ².

The population was in 2000 from 92.87 % White, 3.90 % African American, 0.27 % Native Americans, 0.52 % Asian, and 0.46% other. 1.99 % said to be descended from at least two of these groups. 1.09% of the population were Hispanics who belonged to the various of the aforementioned groups.

25.4% were under the age of 18, 8.6 % from 18 to 24, 25.5% 25-44, 22.9% from 45 to 64 and 17.8 % 65 and older. The average age was 38 years. For every 100 females were statistically 88.4 men in the over 18 -year-olds 83.9.

The average income per household was $ 31,586, the average family income is $ 39.574. Men's income averaged $ 31,213, and for women about $ 21,420. The per capita income amounted to $ 17,144. Around 8.1% of families and 11.9 % of the total population were below the poverty line income.

Attractions

In Keokuk is located at Lock and Dam No.. 19 ( Lock and Dam No. 19), the 19 dam to regulate the water level of the Mississippi including the necessary lock for shipping. Due to the current dam can be obtained in a power plant built in 1913. At the time of its construction this was the world's largest power plant with a single generator. Even today, much of the technical equipment is still in its original state.

The old sluice built in 1913 was replaced by a larger in 1957.

The Grand Theatre was built on the findings of the 1923 Menten spent Opera House. Today it belongs to the city Keokuk and is also used as a venue. Here in the past, significant artists such as John Philip Sousa and Maynard Ferguson have worked.

The produced water in the waterworks of Keokuk was awarded by the Iowa Water Council as Wohlschmeckendstes drinking water in Iowa.

The city hosts the Keokuk National Cemetery, Keokuk, the Veteran's Memorial, the Miller House Museum, the George M. Verity River Museum.

Sons and daughters of the town

• John N. Irwin, diplomat and politician
• Elsa Maxwell, Journalist
• Conrad Nagel, actor
• Jeremy Soule, composer
• Frank Steunenberg, politicians