Dr. Rebecca J. Keck

Mrs. Dr. Rebecca J. Keck was a controversial itinerant physician and patent medicine entrepreneur who became one of the wealthiest self-made businesswomen in 19th century Iowa. She was the owner of Mrs. Dr. Keck’s Infirmary for All Chronic Diseases in Davenport Iowa from 1879 to 1900, and advertised visits to her “branch offices” in rented hotel rooms to meet with patients in towns including Quincy, Bloomington, Peoria Dubuque and Cedar Rapids in thousands of prominent newspaper notices for thirty years.

Her purchase of the John P. Cook mansion at 611 Brady Street in 1879 for $12,000 solidified her reputation in the eyes of her many popular supporters, but embarrassed the town’s elites the medical establishment, who sought to put her out of business because she lacked medical credentials. She was taken to court at least five times in and the medical establishment, who sought to put her out of business because she lacked medical credentials.