Keokuk’s treasures

After guiding us through a small museum behind his office, Kirk Brandenberger of the Keokuk Area Convention and Tourism Bureau pushed a long lever that cradled an ordinary looking softball sized rock.

With a sharp crack, the rock sheared in half, revealing dozens of tiny sparkling crystals inside.

“There are more geodes in the Keokuk area than any place on earth. People come here to hunt them,” he said. “Every late September, Keokuk hosts a Geode Family Fest. Last year, enthusiasts came from 30 states and several foreign countries.”

On a recent two-day trip seeking Iowa history, we discovered that Keokuk is much like its abundant geodes: ordinary on the outside, and sparkling on the inside.

As we approached this town of about 10,000 people sandwiched between the Des Moines and Mississippi Rivers, we noticed homes and roofs needing repair. That’s not surprising for a town that’s experienced gradual population declines since the 1960s. First impressions can be deceiving. We soon discovered that both Keokuk, and geodes, hold treasures within. We found remarkable engineering feats, impressive architecture, excellent dining and wildlife embedded in its rich history.

Our plan was to make a giant U-shaped trip exploring a diversity of southeast Iowa and nearby Illinois’ historic sites. We started by following a narrow-paved road from Farmington down the Des Moines River and struck historic pay dirt in Croton, Iowa. On Aug, 5, 1861, skirmishing took place across the river in Missouri. A cannon ball sailed across the river and landed in our state. It is Iowa’s only Civil War battle site, of sorts.

From Croton, we zig-zagged on small roads to Keokuk seeking the grave of Joseph Patterson. Although not our relative, his story is amazing. Born in Virginia in 1765, he fought in the Revolutionary War and later moved to Iowa. Buried in Oakland Cemetery within Keokuk, he is one of eight Revolutionary War veterans buried in Lee County —a county with a historic name of its own.

“It was named for Robert E. Lee, who extensively surveyed the area after graduating from West Point and before the Civil War,” Brandenberger said.

Keokuk National Cemetery, Iowa's only national cemetery. Many Iowans buried in this area died in summer and fall of 1918 during WWI. (Marion and Rich Patterson/for The Gazette)

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The Johnstone Bed and Breakfast under renovation. (Marion and Rich Patterson/for The Gazette)

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Dam workers came from many countries and spoke at least 26 different languages. Interpreters were hired to communicate. This welcome sign includes the 26 different languages. (Marion and Rich Patterson/for The Gazette

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The cemetery sprawls up and down the Keokuk hills, so we didn’t locate the Patterson grave but marveled at stories revealed on many headstones. Hundreds of people were born in eastern states in the 1700s and moved to Iowa as land opened to settlement. They died and are buried in their adopted state.Nearby was a chilling message written on the stones of dozens of Iowa veterans who died between the summer and late fall of 1918. Likely many perished in WWI’s Meuse Argonne Offensive. They rest near the bodies of veterans of many wars in Iowa’s only national cemetery adjoining Oakland Cemetery.

“The cemetery was established by the Union Army following the Vicksburg Campaign downriver. Casualties arrived on steamboats to be treated in hospitals or buried in what became the veteran’s cemetery,” Brandenberger said.

Keokuk’s history is framed by two great rivers and rapids. In Iowa’s early days, rivers were the main artery of transportation. People seeking new homes and land came up the Mississippi on steamboats. Some went up the Des Moines River, while others intended to continue on up the Mississippi, but faced a problem at Keokuk. The intimidating Des Moines Rapids blocked larger steamboats from puffing upriver. Some people stayed to settle in the local area. Because Keokuk is situated where two major rivers channel travelers upstream, it has been called the Gate City.

As its population and river traffic grew, a side channel was excavated to allow large steamers to bypass the rapids and continue upriver. Those rivers remain travel corridors for people and wildlife. Visitors can tour the unique George M. Verity Riverboat Museum and appreciate the engineering and travel hazards of the day.

We watched bald eagles soar above us. Some nest nearby, while far more visit in winter. Area birding is outstanding and eagle viewing superb during the cold months. The vast rivers also support an enormous diversity of aquatic life.

“People come here to catch huge catfish and walleyes,” Brandenberger said.

One of the world’s grandest engineering projects changed the town forever. The ingenuity and chutzpa of the engineer, Hugh Cooper, who answered the call, made the story and place fascinating.

Just after the dawn of the last century, investors viewed the vast quantities of Mississippi River water flowing swiftly over the Des Moines Rapids as an opportunity. Demand for electricity was rapidly growing in St. Louis, and the supply was short. Although many engineers believed it was impossible to dam the giant river, Cooper accepted the challenge, and spearheaded the construction of a 4,620-foot-long dam and immense power plant. Construction began in 1910 and was completed three years later.

Back then, it was the largest privately funded construction project in the world.

Building the dam was only part of Cooper’s task. Power lines had to be built to transport energy to St. Louis, and hundreds of workers needed to be hired and trained.

“They came from everywhere, and at least 26 languages were spoken by construction crews. So, Cooper had to hire interpreters and build housing,” Brandenberger said. To keep workers and families happy, the local bakeries made dozens of different types of breads to appeal to immigrants’ varied tastes.

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The dam flooded the once impassible rapids. A lock enabled big boats to continue upstream, and the site is now called Lock and Dam 19. Other Mississippi River locks and dams were built later by the government, which still owns and operates them. Keokuk-Hamilton Dam remains privately owned by Ameren, while the Army Corps of Engineers owns the lock.

We experienced the dam by putting on virtual reality headsets in a small theater in the Keokuk-Hamilton Dam Museum. It let us virtually penetrate into the powerhouse and appreciate the complexity of its design and operation. The museum is located in the Keokuk Area Convention and Tourism Bureau building at 428 Main St.

After our museum stop, we inspected a massive turbine in Estes Park downtown. One of 15 that captured the power of flowing water, it was only recently replaced by more modern ones of stainless steel. The turbine continuously revolved just over a revolution per second for over a century, powering everything from light bulbs to computers. Do the math, and you will come up with quite a number.

Later in the day we drove to Rand Park, overlooking the Mississippi and passing huge, Victorian-era homes built on the river bluff. Many are in impeccable condition, and some need love.

The park features a statue of Chief Keokuk, who once lived in the area with his people and accepted white settlers until the tribes were deported to Kansas, where he died.

Keokuk has a diversity of motels, but we overnighted in a mansion converted to a bed and breakfast. The Johnstone Mansion was built by a banker in the late 1800s. After spotting it, we noticed that its yard and exterior needed love and attention. Would we want to stay?

However, as manager Pete Joy escorted us inside, we realized we’d found another hidden gem. Its interior was as fascinating as that of a geode and furnished with Victorian treasures. The interior is meticulously painted and wallpapered.

“Most of the furnishings are antiques, and some are artifacts,” Joy said. When we asked what makes a table or chair an artifact, he responded, “It is one of a kind from that era.” We enjoyed a comfortable night inside.

The next morning, we crossed the Mississippi and visited Dadant and Sons Company in Hamilton, Illinois. It sells products to beekeepers around the world and is the home of “The American Bee Journal,” for which we have written in the past. Then we drove the scenic Great River Road north to Nauvoo, Illinois. Pastoral views of the Mississippi accompanied us.

As we rounded a bend, Nauvoo’s magnificent temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints came into full view. We’d visited previously to walk and learn of the tragic persecution of LDS people, their exodus to Utah, and the rebuilding and opening of the new temple in 2002.

From there, we crossed the big river to Fort Madison and continued on home. Our two-day trip was a U-shaped discovery of history with the Civil War monument in Croton, a delightful time in Keokuk with its river and steam boat history, and ended enjoying the LDS Temple in Nauvoo.