Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-09-01
KEosAUQUA BREAKS RECORDS IN
PRODUCING GREAT MEN.
THREE OTIUMWANS RAISED THERE
Van Buren, County City Is Envied For
Its Production of Senators, Con-
gressmen, Governors of State, and
Otherwise Eminent Personaaes,

There are three PROMINENT Ottum
vans who can claim the distinction of
having been born in Keosauqua, the
birthplace of greatness and the town
that holds all records for the nroduc--
ton of men who have gained honors
and wealth Calvin Manning, the son
of the late Edwin Manning, one of the
pioneers settlers of Iowa lis one OF the
trio; Attorneys F. M. Hunter and w.
A. Work, among the prominent mem
bers of the legal profession who re-
ceived their first instruction III the Of
fee of Wright. Knapp G. Caldwell, are
the others. The late Seth Richards,
who later lived in Ottumwa and acquir-
ed a large amount of property here,
was born in Keosauqua, as was United
States Senator VIM. A. Clark, of Mon
tana; A. J. Davis of Montana, the mil
lionaire copper king; ex-senator VIM
e. Mason, of Illinois; the late eX-Sen-
ator !. H. Gear. Henry Clay Dean, un-
til his death one of the brainiest, al
though eccentric men in the country,
and many others.
The Humorist of keosauqua.
"Some men are born great, some
achieve greatness, and some had the
Judgment to live in Keosauqua
awhile"
Such was the explanation once given
by George G. Wright, United States
senator and chief justice of Iowa, when
asked how this little town of a few
hundred had furnished the nation sew
eral scores of senator's, congressman,
cabinet members, governors of states,
eminent jurists, famous lawyers, multi
millionaires. railroad managers and fl
nanciers, and leaders, in short, in ev-
cry avenue of activity.
Judge Wright was the humorist of
the Keosauqua colony of great men.
His explanation was Characteristic but
it doesn't explain.
A Galaxy of Greatness.
Within a period of fifteen years,
from 1850 to 1865, when the village at
no time numbered over 600 souls, there
were numbered among it's population
six men who afterwards became Unit
ed States senators; a dozen who were
destined to be congressman; three
United States judges; half dozen
men who have since counted their
wealth from two to hundred millions;
half a dozen who attained high honors
as military commanders in the civil
war or later; fully a dozen governors
and leading state officers of Iowa and
other western states, four or five great
railroad managers and railroad presi-
dents; two scores of men who have
since occupied foremost places at the
bar of almost every state west of the
Mississippi; cabinet members, minis
tiers in the diplomatic service, orators,
statesmen, politicians, candidate for
president. great business men-in any
vocation the record of the sons OF Keo.
sauqua may be found writ well up to
the top.
Lincoln Appointed Caldwell.
From the offices of the famous old
law firm of Wright, Knapp & Cald-
well went out many of the vests not
ed barristers. Judge Wright was head
of the firm. Joseph r. Knapp, twice
district attorney, then federal attor-
ney for Iowa, candidate for governor
and for the supreme bench on the
democratic ticket, and one of Iowa's
greatest lawyers, was the second
member. Henry Clay Caldwell, a
nephew of the late Paris Caldwell OF
this city, just retiring from the United
States circuit bench of the ninth dis.
trict, was the third member. In 1864
Lincoln appointed him to the district
bench at Arkansas; thence he went
to the circuit bench, where he sat
beloved of lawyers and enjoying the
confidence of litigants, until, when he
announced his determination to retire
few weeks ago, he was the last man
in public life appointed to office by
q n nir fn Ind No
now lives at Little Rock.
Delazon Smith.
Ask an oldtimer who was the great.
est man Keosauqua ever boasted and
you have a great chance to hear the
name of Delazon Smith Under Pres.
ident Tyler he was minister to Colon
bia. After that he went to the Paci
f1c coast, made a fortune and was
the first senator elected from Oregon
He was one of the greatest orators
this country ever produced.
Four Noted Men.
Away back before the civil war
nearly generation before it, in fact
two young men started newspa
per in Keosauqua. They were j. B
Howell and Samuel M. Clark. Later
they moved to Keokuk and were the
publishers of the Gate City Howell
went to the senate and Clark repre-
scented the Keokuk district in con
gress till he tired of it and with
drew.
John Henry Gear, governor of Iowa
legislator and speaker of the Iowa
house, congressman and twice elected
senator, was another Keosauquan O
the early day. And over against hin
may be, placed "Bill' Mason of Hi
nois, the rotund and happy senator
from Illinois. He was a Bentonsport
lad but he went to school in Keosau
qua, and Keosauqua claims the credit
for him.
Augustus Hall an Orator.
Coming down to men who became
mere congressman the investigator
may pick UP one or two new Keasau
quans in this capacity in almost an.
casual conversation with an old
timer. Augustus G. Hall divides will
Delazon Smith the honor of Keosau
qua oratory. He was a great lawyer
and orator, a democratic congress
e. T.