The first work of
the people of Iowa was to establish homes. Little
thought was given to culture or refinement during the
early years of the state's history, but it was not
long until a desire for better things developed and
literature became a subject of interest. Quite a
number of Iowa authors, either native or adopted sons,
have made their mark in the literary circles of the
nation. Doubtless the best known of these men is
Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known as:
Mark Twain
Mr. Clemens was born in Florida, Missouri, November
30, 1835. He was educated in the Hannibal public
schools and began learning the printer's trade when
twelve years old. Later he became a Mississippi River
pilot. While working at the printer's trade he set
type on the first Keokuk city directory, published in
1856, in which he gave his occupation as antiquarian.
This directory was published by his brother, Orion
Clemens, and a copy of it is now in the Keokuk Public
Library. He also worked awhile on the Keokuk Saturday
Post, which paper employed him to write some articles
upon his travels after leaving Keokuk. The first of
these articles was published on December 6, 1856,
signed "Snodgrass," and is said to be the first
article ever published by the man who afterward became
so celebrated a humorist. In 1862 Mr. Clemens became
the city editor of the Virginia City (Nevada)
Enterprise. Here he made quite a reputation as a
humorist and his writings became known all over the
country. A few years later he went upon the excursion
to Europe and the Holy Land, an account of which was
published in his "Innocents Abroad," his first
pretentious work. Between that time and his death he
published more than a score of volumes, but it was in
Lee County that he made his humble start.
Virginia Wilcox Ivins
Mrs. Ivins was a niece of Dr. Isaac Galland, one of
the pioneers of Lee County, and came with her uncle to
Keokuk in the latter '30s. In 1840 she went with
Doctor Galland and his wife to Ohio and spent the
winter in school at Akron. In the fall of 1842 she
came back to Keokuk on a canal boat, which was towed
down from Akron to the Ohio River, drifted down that
stream to the Mississippi, and was then towed up by a
steamboat to Keokuk — a trip of 1,450 miles. In her
"Pen Pictures of Early Western Days" she says in the
preface: "In presenting these pen pictures no literary
merit is claimed, but that it is an authentic account
of scenes and occurrences in most of which the author
took part, or to which she was an eye witness."
In this work she gives accounts of a number of
interesting incidents, one of which is the story of
"Nigger John," who bought his freedom and saved $600
to buy his wife. About that time there was an
organization known as the "Vigilants" that charged
John with being a thief. His trunk was searched, the
$600 found, and he was ordered to leave town. He
refused to go, and one evening when Doctor Galland
walked to the levee he discovered Doctor Hogan
horsewhipping the negro. Doctor Galland made a speech
and Mrs. Ivins says: "He talked long and earnestly to
the men, telling them what a bad reputation Keokuk was
gaining abroad from such outrages, and appealing to
them to redeem themselves and help build up a town in
which it would be a pleasure and a pride to live. He
closed his speech by saying: 'If there is to be a
constant fight I propose to take a hand in it.' " This
ended the outrages of the "Vigilants" and had a good
effect upon the Town of Keokuk.
In 1849 Miss Wilcox became the wife of William S.
Ivins and about four years later went overland to
California. She returned to Keokuk in 1856 and in the
latter years of her life resided on North Second
Street, where she wrote the book above
mentioned.
David B. Smith
Mr. Smith came to Keokuk in 1847 as a CIV1 ^ engineer
in the employ of the Keokuk & Des Moines Valley
Railroad. He became permanently identified with
municipal and county affairs, served as a member of
the Keokuk City council, and as deputy sheriff and
deputy treasurer of Lee County. Mr. Smith became an
author under rather unfortunate circumstances. He was
convicted for embezzlement in the county treasurer's
office and sentenced to the penitentiary. His
experiences as an inmate of that institution led to
his writing a book upon prison conditions that has
been widely read and is regarded as an authority upon
the subject.
J. Monroe Reid
Colonel Reid was a son of Hugh T. Reid, who was one of
the leading Lee County attorneys in his day and won
distinction as a soldier in the Civil war. J. Monroe
Reid studied law and for many years had an office at
24 North Fifth Street, Keokuk. In 1877 he wrote his
"Sketches and Anecdotes of Old Settlers, Newcomers,
the Mormon Bandits and the Danite Band.' 1 Among the
old settlers mentioned in his work were Dr. Samuel
Muir, Capt. J. B. Browne, C. F. Davis, Isaac R.
Campbell, Chief Keokuk, Edwin Guthrie and George C.
Anderson, Keokuk's first banker.
Colonel Reid's literary style is probably more
forcible than elegant, but in his book are preserved
many incidents connected with the early life of Lee
County. He came to Keokuk from Indiana, enlisted as a
private in Company A, Second Iowa Infantry, and four
years later was mustered out as captain and brevet
lieutenant- colonel of the Fifteenth Iowa
Infantry.
Sue Harry Clagett
Miss Clagett was a native of the State of Maryland. In
1854, with her father, Thomas W. Clagett, who
afterwards served as judge of the District Court, she
came to Keokuk. She attended the private school of
Rev. Charles Williams, was a writer on the old Keokuk
Constitution, while her father was the owner of that
paper, and her most pretentious work, a novel entitled
"Her Lovers," was written while living at 223 Morgan
Street, Keokuk. In 1879 she went to Louisville,
Kentucky, where the next year she was married to S. B.
Pettingill, and later removed to Tacoma, Washington.
She died there in 1890.
Margaret Collier
Graham
This author was born in Van Buren County, Iowa,
September 29, 1850, a daughter of David and Lydia A.
(Lindsey) Collier. She was educated in the Keokuk
public schools and the college at Mon- mouth,
Illinois, where she was graduated in 1869. On October
21, 1873, she became the wife of Donald M. Graham and
some years later removed to Pasadena, California,
where she passed the remainder of her life. Mrs.
Graham wrote "Stories of the Foot-Hills, 1, a number
of character sketches of western people; "The Wizard's
Daughter and Other Stories, 1 ' a work of similar
character; and a book of essays which takes its title
from the first essay, "Do They Really Respect Us?"
Most of these essays deal with woman's rights and the
higher education of women. In the one entitled "What
Is An Immoral Novel?" she sets forth this bit of
philosophy:
"I am aware that women are hard towards certain forms
of evil among women, and I am rather glad that this is
so. It is no doubt what has made us so very, very
good. If we are to believe men, who are constantly
telling us how virtuously superior we are to them, our
plan with women has certainly worked better than
theirs with men. Possibly the sauce that has made of
women such a highly moral and delicious goose might
make of man an equally moral and delectable gander.
The experiment is certainly worth trying."
John Burgess
From 1863 to 1897 Rev. John Burgess resided in Keokuk,
with the exception of four years, from 1865 to 1869.
He served as chaplain of the Thirtieth Iowa Infantry
in the Civil war until ill health compelled his
discharge from service. For some time he was pastor of
the Exchange Street Methodist Episcopal Church and
later was in charge of the Free-for-all Church at
Keokuk. He also studied medicine in the old College of
Physicians and Surgeons, where he received the degree
of M. D. in 1865. His best known works are "Pleasant
Recollections of the Character and Works of Notable
Men," which deals largely with his work in the
ministry, containing many reminiscences of persons met
in different states. Some of these stories are
pathetic, some amusing, but all are well told. His
"Sermons on Practical Duties" contain many moral
precepts and much wholesome advice that can be applied
to the ordinary daily walks of life.
N. Gray Bartlett
Mrs. Bartlett's maiden name was Miss May McCune. Her
father, John McCune, was a contractor in Mississippi
River work under General Curtis, and she came with him
to Keokuk in her early childhood. She was educated in
St. Vincent's Academy and continued to live in Keokuk
until her marriage to Mr. Bartlett in 1870, after
which she resided in Chicago.
Rebecca S. Pollard
Probably no Lee County author is more widely known
than Mrs. Pollard. She was born in Allegheny County,
Pennsylvania, a daughter of Nathaniel Ruggles Smith, a
prominent educator, and came to Fort Madison at a
comparatively early date. Under the pseudonym of Kate
Harrington she wrote a number of poems. The following
extract is taken from her poem entitled Maymie:
"O! be ye guarded what ye do or say
Before a mother when her child is dead;
Move with hushed tread beside the pulseless clay,
And in low whispers let your words be said.
Remember of her life it was a part;
Remember it was nourished at her breast;
That she would guard it still from sudden start,
The ringing footfall, or untimely jest."
The Iowa Centennial poem, read at Philadelphia in
1876, was written by Mrs. Pollard and attracted
favorable comment from the press of the country. In
this poem she says of Iowa:
"The mansions on our prairies wide,
Oft with a rude cot by their side,
Show how, by years of patient toil,
The lordly tillers of our soil
Have reared such houses as freemen may
With all their shackles torn away.
On history's page will shine most bright
Such names as Belknap, Kirkwood, Wright,
Howell, McCrary, Mason, Hall,
Dodge, faithful to his country's call.
Warriors who, through war's wild shock,
Anchored our ship on Union rock.
"Ask ye if Woman shrinking stood,
When rang War's cry o'er field and flood?
Did mothers, racked by dire alarms,
Prison their sons with clinging arms?
No! worthy of the patriot sires
That lit the Revolution fires,
They forced the tears — that needs must start
Backward, to trickle through the heart,
And said in accents firm and low,
'Our prayers will follow — go, boys, go!'
Mrs. Pollard is the author of a series of phonetic
readers used in many of the schools of the country.
From 1875 to 1877 she conducted a private school in
Keokuk, and while residing there her Centennial poem
and "Maymie" were printed at the office of the Gate
City. She is also the author of a novel, "Emma
Bartlett," an incident of the Civil war. She is now (
19 1 4) aged eighty-three years, living with her son,
J. A. S. Pollard, cashier of the Fort Madison Savings
Bank, at Fort Madison. At the age of eighty-one she
wrote a missionary poem entitled Althea, which is her
last literary work.
Rupert Hughes
One of the best known of the Lee County authors is
Rupert Hughes, who now lives in New York City. He was
born at Lancaster, Missouri, January 31, 1872; came to
Keokuk when about seven years of age; received his
elementary education in the Keokuk public schools;
then attended different colleges, and in 1892 received
the A. M. degree from Yale University. That year
marked the close of his residence in Keokuk. In 1901
he began editorial work, and from 1902 to 1905 was
connected with the Encyclopedia Brittanica Company. He
is the author of a number of stories and the scene of
the "Lakerim Cruise" is laid in Keokuk. It was
published in 1898. He has also written some poetry and
several plays.
George P. Wilkinson
George P. Wilkinson is a native of Keokuk, where he
was born in i860, a son of A. J. and Martha Willia
Wilkinson. After attending the Keokuk public schools
he attended college, studied medicine, and became
professor of diseases of the eye and ear in the
College of Physicians and Surgeons at Keokuk, which
chair he held from 1884 to 1886. Many of his writings
are devoted to subjects connected with the medical
profession. During his later life he lived in Omaha,
Nebraska.
Frank Graham Moorhead
In 1885 Frank Graham Moorhead, then nine years of age,
came with his parents, Dr. Samuel W. and Melissa M.
(Graham) Moorhead, to Keokuk. While living with his
parents there, at 1228 High Street, he attended the
public schools, and it was in Keokuk that he wrote his
"Unknown Facts about Well Known People," which was
published in 1895, when he was barely twenty years of
age. This work is a compilation of short biographical
sketches of prominent people — chiefly literary
characters — and many of the sketches contain
information about the subject not found elsewhere,
thus justifying the title of his book. There are also
sketches of a number of people in Mr. Moorhead's work
that are not found in any of the standard biographical
dictionaries. In 1898 he became managing editor of the
Keokuk Daily Press and later went to Des Moines, where
he was employed on various papers for some time. Still
later he was Sunday editor of the Spokane
Spokesman-Review. He is now connected with the Pierce
publications at Des Moines and is one of the best
known magazine writers in the West.
Granville Walter Barr
Mr. Barr is a native of the Buckeye State, having been
born in Clark County, Ohio, October 25, i860. He
attended Asbury (now DePauw) University at
Greencastle, Indiana, from 1877 to 1880, and in 1884
graduated at Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia.
While attending college in Indiana he began newspaper
work. In 1898 he came to Keokuk as professor of
materia medica in the College of Physicians and
Surgeons and has since been a resident of that city.
He is the author of several works and monographs on
medical subjects. Of his miscellaneous works, the best
known are the "Verdict in the Rutherford Case," "The
Woman Who Hesitated," "In the Last Ditch," "Victory of
the Valiant," and his political novel, "Shacklett, or
the Evolution of a Statesman." The Heights in this
novel is Cedarcroft, the Nagel home at Warsaw,
Illinois. Doctor Barr is now in charge of the
publicity department of the Mississippi River Power
Company.
Miscellaneous
At the beginning of the Civil war Mrs. Annie
Wittenmyer began as a nurse in the Keokuk hospitals,
after which she went to the front as a field nurse
with the army of General Grant. After the war she
wrote "Under the Guns, a Woman's Reminiscences of the
Civil War." The book contains a number of interesting
incidents and the introduction was written by Mrs.
Ulysses S. Grant. Mrs. Wittenmyer is also the author
of "Woman's Work for Jesus," "A Jeweled Ministry,"
"The Women of the Reformation," etc.
James H. Anderson, for many years a resident of
Keokuk, who wrote "Riddles of Prehistoric Times,"
published in 191 1, says in his preface: "For forty
years the author had been a plodding lawyer, but,
having become incapacitated by an apoplectic fit, he,
pondering on the riddle of existence, compiled this
book, which is but a resume of facts gleaned while he
was seeking to know whence came the world and its
people." The book contains much evidence of research
into ancient ethnology, etc., is well written, and
will well repay the reader for the time spent in its
perusal.
One of the most interesting works by a Lee County
author is the "Notes of a Trip Around the World," by
Charles Parsons, who was one of the early bankers of
Keokuk. An interesting feature of this work is the
illustrations made from original photographs taken in
Japan, India, Egypt, Spain and other countries, and
the story is told in a highly entertaining way.
Blanche Sellers Ortman was born in Keokuk, a daughter
of Morris and Rose (McCune) Sellers. She was educated
in the Sacred Heart convent at Chicago, and soon after
completing her education became the wife of Rudolph
Ortman of that city. Her principal works are
"Bar-Gee," the story of a horse, and "The Old House,
and Other Stories." There is a pathos in her story of
the Old House which makes the reader think of his
childhood home, if he ever had one.
Among the more substantial publications written or
compiled by Lee County authors is George W. McCrary's
"American Law of Elections." As its name indicates, it
is devoted to certain legal phases of American
elections and is not well calculated for "summer
reading." It was written before the Australian ballot
system was introduced into so many of the states of
the Union, but contains much that is still good
authority. The book is dedicated to Hon. Samuel F.
Miller, a Lee County lawyer, who became chief justice
of the United States Supreme Court.
There have been a few other sons and daughters of Lee
County who have made their mark in the literary world,
but the above are the ones best known. The works of
these writers show that Iowa has kept pace with the
literary progress of the nation, and that Lee County
is by no means the most insignificant part of the
Hawkeye State.
Source: History
of
Lee County, Iowa, by Dr. S. W. Moorhead and
Nelson C. Roberts, 1914
|
|
