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


/ died when he was a small boy.
e. M. insersoII came TO keokuk IN
1s4s, and this has been his permanent
home, although he lived temporarily
/ in oregon, California, Kansas and
Missouri, at times.
/ In 1853, he was travelling agent Tor
The Gate City all over southern Iowa.
He was alderman in the city council
/ of keokuk, 1898, and assessor
| fso1-o2.
He is still hale and hearty and
takes much interest in current keo-
kuk affairs, as we'll as in its past
history. He wrote this historical
sketch, largely from his own expert.
ences and observations, as work OF
This historical story of keokuk will
r1ents at intervals. Another Install
nent will appear within few days.
The Indian name for the place was
Puckachee tuck Two Indian words
meaning go fast, or go quick. so called
perhaps on account OF the swift cur
rent OF the river.
DIR. Isaac Galland tells US that the
place got its name, Keokuk, at lttie
Fourth OF July celebration in 1879.
held by few steamboat men whose
craft was lying at what is now the
foot Of Main street. The meeting was
presided over by Col, GeorSe Daven-
port, and during the festivities the
name OF Keokuk was given TO the
settlement in honor OF Chief keokuA-
The first house built in Keokuk was
built by DR.. Samuel Muir in 1920, and
was occupied by himself, his Indian
wife and their half breed children
The house stood on the north
easterly corner of Main street and the
ieyee.
Moses StilIwell, the first permanent
white settler. built the second log
house on the hillside above the upper
end OF the present dock.
Immediately below, and against
perpendicular wall of stone, stood a
enc story stone building, the stone
bluff serving for the back wall. This
building was about fifteen by forty
feet in size. It was intended for
warehouse. 1t was destroyed by an
ice gorge and flood in 1882.
The First Residences.
At the junction of the present Blon-
deau street and the leyee, stood the
first house, OF row of five houses all
Joined together with a porch in front.
These belonged TO the American Fur
company and were sold to Isaac R.
Campbell in 1882. These buildings
were known for many years as Old
Rat-row.
Below the Fur company's buildings,
half way between Blondeau and Main
streets, stood a clapboard frame
house owned by Edward Bushnell. ana
used at various times as stable. ware
house and grocery.
A little farther back on the side OF
the hill stood John f'orsyth's little
log cabin which was occupied In 1888
by a venerable gentleman by the name
of Jesse Creighton, shoemaker by
trade. Business not being very brisk,
he was induced to teach a private
school. This was the first school
taught in Keokuk.
James Thorn, Canadian French
man, married to a Sac squaw lived in
a small log house situated half way
between the water edge and the top
of the bluff between Concert and High
streets.
John Connolly. OF Irish decent and
clerk of the American Fur company,
with his squaw wife, lived in log
house on the hill between Main and
Johnson streets, back of the old depot
house.
When keokuk Had Fort.
This locality IS more noted than
- n IN II
owing to the fact that the fort was
erected mere in 1882, under the sup
ervision of Isaac R Campbell and
Major Jenifer r. Spriggs who came
to this locality for the purpose of
surveying the half breed tract The
latter deemed it advisable to garri-
son the point as Black Hawk had
started on the war path, and upon
his request being made known TO
the commandant at ST. Louis, one
swivel, thirty-four muskets and five
hundred rounds OF cartridges were
forwarded at once. On their arrival
a small stockade about hundred
feet across inclosing a block house
was constructed.
After the munitions Of war were
put into the stockade Jenifer T.
Spriggs was elected captain and
Isaac r. Campbell was lieutenant and
commissary.
All of the employees Of the Ameri-
can Fur Co. had Indian wives.
Isaac R. Campbell, father of Capt.
j. w Campbell, moved from Nash
vile to Keokuk in 1881, and engaged
in mercantile business with DR..
Muir.
/ When Population was Thirty.
! In 1892, there were about thirty
grown up white people in Keokuk.
They were native Americans, English,
Irish, French and Canadians There
were several pure blood Indian men
and a greater number OF Indian
women. Among the children were
white children, half-breed children
and some pure blood Indian children.
There were two distinct classes of
half-breed Indians. There were the
Legitimate children of white fathers
married to Indian wives; these were
raised and educated much the same
yl-h oh