The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-09-29
Some Interesting Early History
Inaugural Address of D. w Kboune Mayor Of the City Keokuk
Delivered in Concert Hall, April TO- 1855.

OF matters Of historic interest was
delivered by Mayor Kilhourne in 1850
and by unanimous request Of the aud
fence was ordered to be published in |
pamphlet form by the city council. |
It appeared at the time in The Gate
City and is herewith printed second
time:
In assuming the duties OF the office
of Mayor of the City Of Keokuk, |
trust it will not be considered map
propriate to speak briefly Of the his
tory OF Keokuk. its commencement
and progress, as well as to indicate
the policy that shall govern me in the
discharge of my official duties.
should be recreant to my own
interests, If should fail to give my
cordial support to all measures cal
culated to advance the prosperity of
the city. / cannot but feel deep
interest In her welfare. have resid.
ed In this county about nineteen years.
and having had, during the whole per
| iod, a pecuniary interest in Keokuk,
I and spent much of my time here,
| UaNC a pOASOlu1 hAOWiCd60 "a 10 SOAAA7
mencement and growth.
\ l superintended the laying out OF the
city in the spring OF 1887, and, after
the decree of partition was made. In
November, 1s41, apportioning the lots
in Keokuk, as wells as the lands Of
the Half Breed reservation, amongst
the several owners thereof, and it be-
y came necessary to assume ownership
OF the land thus awarded by the
i courts, /, with others, encountered
difficulties which no stranger can
know, and which no nonresident own
i er will ever appreciate, in the ascer-
tainment and vindication Of the title
j. under which so many secure and hap
py homes are Afforded to the present
Inhabitants OF Keokuk.
BY decision OF the supreme court
of the United States, made in January
last, the last cloud upon our title was
removed, making what is commonly
known as the decree title to Keokuk,
and the whole Half Breed Sac and
Fox reservation, indisputable, firm
and effectual forever.
When the mile square upon which
;. Keokuk is located was laid off into
streets, lots and blocks, in 1897. the
main portion of it was dense forest;
and where Main street now is, sc
thick was the timber and u1derbrush
that it was difficult to make the sur
vey. Then few log cabins on tbs
9 river bank, which had been erected
and used for Indian trading houses
e composed all the improvements. Thel
9 the homes of Black Hawk and Kec
kuk we're near, and the graves o
many Of the tribes were prominent oh
jects upon the bluffs within our tow
site, over which now stand the house
. of she-mo-ko twhite mani. Then kec
u kuk, or 1.-THE Point" as 1t was NOR
frequently called, was known only t
be dreaded by travellers who wer
q detained in crossing the rapids. The
= there was no temple here consecrate
. to the living God. and nothing attrac
- i've to civilized man. Then there wa
= no mercantile house here, no post o
fee. and not till 1910 was one estal
llSlSu. lSfi0uSis w ShoS eiAAAS -
= nearest post office in Iowa. was Fol
y Des Moines, (now Montrose.) twelv
miles distant; and it was the custom
- when any citizen of Keokuk happene
- there, to take all the mail matter b.
~ longing to Keokuk,-a months acc
~ mutation not unfrequently filling or
pocket of an over-coat. Now the POI
office here requires the constant labt
= Of six clerks, Is distributing offic
=. and the amount OF mail matter wbie
- is received and delivered daily Is su
-. prising
=. AS late as 1912. Keokuk was a me
~ hamlet, numbering only some 100
r. habitants, and owing to the unsettl'
~ state of the title, but little progre
:. was made until 1S49 From that tin
to the present it has had a rapid al
health growth.
Now we have a population of
/. thousand, with commercial and nj
- camille business unsurpassed in me-
he nitude by any other place In the un
do ed States, of It's size. Various brant
~ es Of manufacturing are carried on
"a considerable extent.
~ Now we have macadmized stree
he each one mile long, Main street bel
10 one hundred feet wide.
he Now we have dwelling houses, bu
he of brick and stone, which would
be credit to any OF our large cities.
,rs Now we have public and prtvi
schools OF high order, and church
of various denominations.
err Now we have located here the m
" ical department of the Iowa Univ
TO sity, with six able professors, and
,di. interesting museum attached, VIII
a1f is rapidly increasing. The class of
,eo session consisted of seventy membe
he Now we have two daily and
wn- weekly newspapers, and medi
yis- journal published here.
out Now we have two daily lines
TO steam packets between here and
me Louis. In 1899, one boat was put i
rhe the trade as an experiment. Our {
lew zens are making arrangements to
IL, ,,~I-- Or mr.