The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-06-28


their interest in the lands the tame
as the others.
Finances Of the Indians.
This class of half-breeds had very
little knowledge of the value or pCr-
chasing power of money. They did
not know where TO go TO make par
chases nor how TO call for what they
wanted. nor how much they ought
to get for their money. Ponies, bian-
keets, guns, tomahawks, knires and
such other articles as they needed TO
make I'D an outfit for Indian life
were what they wanted and they
would take as many of such articles
as they could get for their interest
in the haif-breed lands.
The buyers of interests in the
baH-breed lands found them easy
fellows 10 deal with. There were
only thirty-seven half-breeds that
were the legitimate children of white
fathers and their Indian wives.
Ninety interests were sold to the st.
Louis and New York companies, and
that number OF shares were drawn
in the decree of partition.
The Romance Of Lizzie MudhoIe.
There were not many pure blood
Indians in this part of the country
in 1876. They were moved back west
of the west line of the Black Hawk
purchase.
About the last one to leave was
Lizzie Mudhole. Lizzie was a little
Indian girl baby found in a mud hole
after the Indians were gone. The
man who found her gave her to an
Indian woman who lived with her
white husband out near where the
Valley school house is now.
The way she was reared out IN the
country, she was about as wild as
any other little wild Indian When
she was about fifteen years old she
and nobody knew what
had become of her for long time.
She went afoot and alone clear
across the country to the Sac and
Fox reservation in Kansas.
After the close of the Black Hawk
war settlements became more fire.
quent in keokuk.
In 1887, Mr.. Campbell sold his land
on the hillside to DR.. Galland who
the New York Land Co.,
and who had the city plated. The
work was done by Mr.. Brattels, an
engineer from Fort Edwards (now
Warsaw.
The First Hotel.
The first regular hotel was opened
in 1870, and was known as the Keo-
kuk house. l.. B. Fleak was pro-
prietor. 1t was three story build
ing constructed of split timber and
weather boarded and partitioned
with green cottonwood lumber.
A postoffice was opened in 1S41,
in the hotel with L. B. Fleak as post
master.
About this time the population was
estimated at $50 souls.
The postoffice was moved to First
and Johnson streets and L. B. Fleak
kept a store at the latter place.
The first church erected in Keokuk
was a Catholic church erected in
1898.
In 1916, the population had in
creased to 500. In the next two years
the population increased rapidly.
In 1916. a tall frame building was
erected on the southeast corner OF
Second and Johnson streets. 1t was
used as office and sleeping rooms by
big cooper shop near the foot OF
Exchange street.
The first brick house erected in
Keokuic was built by Lyman E. John
son on the east side of Second street
between Main and Johnson streets.
Where a Pasture Was.
The square bounded by Main and
Johnson and Second and Third
streets was fenced In and used as a
pasture by Captain Holiday. Henry
D. Bartlett, afterwards marshal OF
the city of Keokuk. cut the timber
and split the rails that fenced it.
Late in the fall OF 1916 there was
a zigzag wagon road among the trees
between Ninth and Twelfth streets.
Men were cutting and splitting the
timber into cordwood. From Ninth
to Seventh street there was a zigzag
road among the sturnps. Seventh
street was ON top OF high hill Sixth
street was deep hollow, a very
deep-cut ravins with big log bridge
across IT, This bridge is said to have
been built by the Morrnons.
Main street was passable, but 1t
was not a good road. Teams turned
across onto Johnson street at Sew
enth and thence down Johnson street,
thence across to Main street, thence
down Main street 10 the wharfboat,
where the boats landed, TO Chitten-
den &c McGavie's store, or to the row
of forwarding and commission houses
on the leves.
The Great Commercial Center.
Keokuk was truly the Gate City of
Iowa then. During great part OF
the year the steamboats, could 90 no
farther MP the river. The produce
from the whole Mississippi valley
above the rapids was floated over
the rapids in lighters. the freight to
be taken by the steamboats, at Keo-
kuk.
The produce from the inland towns
and country was brought to Keokuk
by teams, TO be sold or shipped to
other markets.
Merchandise brought up the river
on steamboats, had TO be loaded onto
fJa.hoats and towed over the rapids,