County of statue: Lee County
Location of statue: Mississippi Dr., Victory Park, Keokuk
Artist: Unknown sculptor
"If you asked Keokuk residents to name two statues in town, the first to come to mind would probably be the Chief Keokuk statue that overlooks the Mississippi River from Rand Park.
"That statue was repaired and brought back to its original bronze finish in 2016, although some prefer the green oxidation that had covered the statue for many years.
"Second on the list of well-known Keokuk statues is the Gen. Samuel Curtis statue, which sits high on a granite pedestal in Victory Park on the Keokuk Riverfront.
"The statue has been in a few locations throughout the years, and started its life in the middle of Main Street near Third Street.
"Now it may be Sam’s turn to get some refurbishing, but that is going to be a little more in-depth when it comes time for that project.
"Money has been growing in a fund to get the statue refurbished and repaired.
"At the Aug. 16 Keokuk City Council Meeting, the council agreed to put $1,200 it was getting from a right of way management fee into the fund to repair the statue.
"The Iowa Communications Network asked the city for a utility easement to run fiber optic lines along the Tolmie Park property line from the Iowa National Guard to Great River health Systems being built near the park.
"Public Works Director Mark Bousselot said the cost for the repairs and refurbishment will probably be about $14,000. He said the fund is around halfway to that number now.
"For the rest of the story, see Friday's Daily Gate City." ~ Daily Gate City, by Joe Benedict, September 13, 2018