County of city: Lee County
Location of city: SE corner of county, crossroads US-136 & US-218 & US-61
County is SE corner of state
City Hill location: 415 Blondeau St. & 5th St., Keokuk
Elevation: 571 ft (174 m)
Population: 10,769 (2013)
"The City of Keokuk (pronounced /ki:?kuk/) is named for Chief Keokuck, a chief of the Sac and Fox Indians. His bones were brought here in 1883 from Franklin County, Kansas, and reinterred in Rand Park beneath a massive stone pedestal which is surrounded by a life sized statute of an Indian chieftain. On the east side of this monument is embedded the marble slab taken from the grave in Kansas which is lettered as follows:, “Sacred to the memory of Keokuck, a distinguished Sac chief born at Rock Island in 1788. Died in April, 1848.” Keokuck, “The Watchful Fox”, was not a hereditary chief, but raised himself to the dignity by the force of talent and enterprise. He was a man of extraordinary eloquence in council and never at a loss in an emergency. He was a noble looking man about six feet tall, portly and weighing over 200 pounds. He had an eagle eye, dignified bearing, and a manly, intelligent expression of countenance.
"On November 23, 1985 a new Keokuk Hamilton (IL) bridge was opened. This bridge which is 3,340 feet long and 64 feet wide eliminates the tie up of traffic from the former swing span bridge, allowing both automobile and barge traffic to move more efficiently.
"For years the citizens of Keokuk, Iowa had been dreaming of creating a river museum which would serve as a perpetual reminder of the tremendous amount of river lore that is associated with this community. Their dream came true when officials of the ARMCO Steel Corporation donated their sternwheeler, the George M. Verity. With this generous gift and the cooperation of the American Commercial Barge Lines, along with the cooperation of the Sioux City, New Orleans Barge Lines, the project became a reality. The George M. Verity is permanently berthed in Victory Park, which is on the Mississippi River just a few yards below Lock 19. To passers-by on the river and to tourists traveling on the road, this makes a very interesting and historical stop.
"The City of Keokuk, located in Lee County, is at the junction of the Des Moines River and the Mississippi River, in the extreme southeast corner of the state. East of the Mississippi River lies the state of Illinois, and southwest of the Des Moines River lies the state of Missouri. The city is located on bluffs approximately 200 feet high and has an average altitude of 655 feet above sea level, Memphis datum.
"The Des Moines River is Iowa’s principal stream. It rises in the northwestern part of the state and flows diagonally across the state to Keokuk. Its course has always been a natural highway.
"There has been considerable speculation as to the origins of the name “Des Moines”. The first reference to the stream was made by Joliet, who, on his map in 1674 gives the stream the name of “Quacuiantanas”. In 1688, Frankquelin made a map, or “Carte de la Louisiane”, upon which the river appears, as the “Monigona”. De Lisle’s map of 1707 shows it as the “Rivere les Monigona” and the French called the Indians living along its course “Les Moins”. In time the river came to be generally known as “La Riviere des Moines,” which is unquestionably French, and has been interpreted as meaning “the River of the Monks.”
"When Lt. Zebulon Pike explored the upper Mississippi Valley in 1805-06, he called particular attention to this stream which he called “River de Moyen”, and expressed the opinion that the name thus spelled is a corruption of LaRiviere de Moines. Charles Rollin Keys, who served as assistant state geologist during the 1890’s, and who made a somewhat exhaustive study of Iowa’s physical characteristics and resources, say the name as given by Pike means “the middle”. He accounts for it on the hypothesis that when the French voyageurs visited St. Louis and were asked from what part of the country they came, they replied “DeMoyne”, meaning the country between the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, or the middle of the interior. Mr. Keys is inclined to think that this is the true origin of the name, and that the translation from “DeMoyen” to “Des Moines” was a comparatively easy matter." ~ The City of Keokuk