The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-12-07
THE KEosAuouA REST ROOM.
How tho Women Of That Town
Secured and Paid for
Needed Convenience.

Josie B. Sh srman in Keosauqua In
dependent: The story of the Improve
ment Association Of Keosauqua and
how it made such progress is not uni
versally understood. hence word OF
explanation.
In March 1908, ths frst gathering
OF women convened to talk over
plans for establishing rest room.
Il A club organization was Effected at
this meeting, the purpose Of which
was for civic Improvement Every
woman there paid 25 cents and the
first bank deposit was $3.50.
The work to be accomplished was
assigned to committees as follows:
Streets and alleys, Main street and
railroad station, public health, munic-
ipal, membership and entertainment
An annual city cleaning day was
adopted
Citizens were asked to accumulate
their refuse and the association would
remove 1t rather than have 1t dumped
on the river bank and along side
bridges to be an unsightly object.
The river banks were cleared OF
bushes and trash and the request OF
| the association was made that the
river inside the corporate limits OF
the towns be left beautiful and free
from unsightly objects.
AS the meetings progressed lot
was bought building was moved to
| 1t and the women were given 90 years
to pay for It.
All of this evolves into a neat little
! building, nicely surrounded with a
porch affording a place for meetings
of all sorts.
j Subscription papsre started fund
and the people responded generously
to the appeal. but the bulk of the
| debt was met in various other unique
ways
Every one who gave piece OF fur
| niture or book or money or these
who bought pennants, mops, oil. or
gave their help in pictures for the
souvenir book, or baked pies. breads,
bali all these deserve the thanks
for the part they gave to make it
possible for the association to meet
its obligation. For ind sed it has been
! met. Beginning with bank account
Of $3.50, the association owns a prop
erty representing a cash outlay OF
4 $1,000, aside from books, furnishings,
etc, and on Friday. Nov. %, 1918, the
order was signed for the last payment
on the property.
To say that the association Is
thankful for the assistance Is putting
ny appreciate the use Of this build ng
more as the years go by. There Ia
one way in which thu association
work can be most advanced and that
is by every property owner MAKING
an effort to keep the garbage and tin
cans and unsightly things from benz
: dumped in alleys and along public
highways.
The women do desire to have a
beautiful, clean. hygenic city. They
deplore the fact that glazing sign
boards and advertising placards are
IS lOiCSu upou Lie puDlIC SonLC, put Oil e
so thankful for the many, many favors
that they are wiling to wait for the
slow process Of education to rid oul
) town of even these Objectionable
things.
1t is the desire OF the association
to plan next year for the building o
! an auditorium annex to the litrar!
building, this meeting long fel
want.
The association is only in its incep
g tive stage and its possibilities ar
l great and far reaching.
Again we thank one and all for as
9 sistance given and ask that ever.
r one rejoice with us this Thanksgiving
d time over the completion OF our prim
J tive plan and wish us greater sue
: cess in the future.
n | Dao5 0,,,o Jooi1r Cofa Ci$v