Probably the first
voluntary association of any kind in Lee County was an
agricultural society. On July 17, 1841, a meeting was
held at West Point for the purpose of organizing such
a society. William Patterson presided and James H.
Cowles acted as secretary. About one hundred and fifty
people were present, among whom were Hugh T. Reid and
D. F. Miller of Fort Madison, who addressed the
meeting. A number of fine Durham cattle were exhibited
at West Point on that occasion. A committee of five
was appointed to draft a constitution and by-laws and
report at a meeting to be held in Fort Madison on the
first Monday of the following October. No record of
the Fort Madison meeting can be found, but it is
likely some sort of a society was organized, as in
September, 1842, a three days' fair was held near
Keokuk, under the auspices of the "Lee County
Association," which was evidently short-lived. On
November 1, 1851, the Lee County Agricultural Society
was organized at Keokuk. T. B. Cumming, G. W.
Edmondson and T. J. Chenowith were appointed to draft
a constitution and by-laws, which were presented and
adopted at the same meeting. William Lamb was elected
the first president of the society and G. W. Edmondson
the first secretarv. Ralph P. Lowe, afterward governor
of Iowa, was the first treasurer.
The first fair given by this society was held on
October 13-14, 1852, on the grounds of the medical
college at Keokuk. The premium list advertised
amounted to $588, but the total amount awarded in
prizes was $219. At the close of the fair the
directors met in the lecture room of the medical
college and elected Thomas W. Clagett, president;
Absalom Anderson, vice president; William Leighton,
secretary, and Arthur Bridgman, treasurer. The second
and third fairs of this society were held at 'Keokuk,
after which the place of exhibition was changed to
West Point, where it remained until 1870.
On December 28, 1853, the State Agricultural Society
was organized at Fairfield. Only five counties were
represented, viz. : Henry, Jefferson, Lee, Van Buren
and Wapello. Josiah Hinkle of Lee was one of the
committee to draft by-laws, and the board of
directors, consisting of three from each of the
thirteen counties, was elected. The Lee County
representatives on that board were Arthur Bridgman,
Josiah Hinkle and Reuben Brackett. The board met at
Fairfield on June 6, 1854, elected Thomas W. Clagett
of Lee County president, and proceeded to select a
date and arrange a premium list for the first state
fair. There was some criticism because no prize was
offered for lady horseback riders, and Judge Clagett
offered a gold watch, which was won by Miss Belle
Turner of Lee County.
In the fall of 1870 the citizens of Fort Madison
prepared fair grounds and offered inducements which
decided the directors to remove the fair from West
Point to that place, where it was held for three or
four years. The old society then became involved and
terminated its existence in 1877. It was then
reorganized and twenty acres of ground were leased at
Donnellson and fitted up for fair grounds, and a
successful fair was held there in the fall of that
year. The officers of the society for 1914 were :
Joseph Krebill, president; Joseph Carver, vice
president; G. W. Mattern, treasurer; Chris Haffner,
secretary; D. McCulloch, superintendent of grounds; H.
C. Knapp, marshal.
Some of the citizens in the vicinity of West Point,
after the fair was removed to Fort Madison, organized
an association known as the West Point District
Agricultural Society, which secured the grounds
formerly occupied by the Lee County Agricultural
Society, and has held fairs annually since 1872. The
officers for 1914 were: George E. Rogers, president;
Theodore Brinck, vice president; John Walljasper,
secretary; T. J. Lampe, treasurer; Theodore
Vonderhaar, superintendent of privileges, stalls and
chief of police ; and John Lachman, marshal.
Women's Societies
One of the oldest organizations of women in the State
of Iowa is the P. E. O. Just what these initials stand
for is unknown to the uninitiated. As early as 1869,
seven young girls, students in the Iowa Wesleyan
University at Mount Pleasant, conceived the idea of a
society. One of these girls, speaking of it
afterwards, says: "We had no very definite idea as to
what we wanted to do, and when one said, 'What shall
we call the society?' another suggested the name which
that day bound together seven girls, and in 1914 held
together in one great sisterhood 20,000 women." Miss
Alice Bird, later Mrs. W. I. Babb, wrote the
constitution. For many years P. E. O. was a college
sorority, having chapters somewhat after the nature of
the Greek letter fraternities. Its principal
philanthropy is the maintenance of a fund which is
loaned to young women to assist them in acquiring a
higher education. Hundreds of girls have been educated
by these means, and it is said that not one dollar has
ever been lost by failure to repay a loan. There are
two chapters of the P. E. O. in Lee County, located at
Fort Madison and Keokuk.
Daughters of the
American Revolusion
The Keokuk Chapter, Daughters of the American
Revolution, was organized on October 26, 1896, with
twelve charter members and the number 431. It is one
of the oldest chapters of this order in Iowa, and its
organization is due largely to the efforts of Miss
Cora H. K. Pittmann, who was its first regent. Since
its organization more than forty women have been
elected to membership. The chapter has every year
conducted a course of study on some topic of history,
and has done patriotic educational work in the schools
through the offering of prizes for the best standing
in history grades and essays on historical subjects.
The greatest work of the chapter was the erection of
the statue of Chief Keokuk in Rand Park. This monument
was unveiled on October 22, 191 3, by Miss Agnes Evans
Reeves and Miss Graffen Blood, two little girls,
daughters of members of the chapter. Following is the
list of the regents of this chapter since its
organization: Cora H. K. Pittmann, Lucy Singleton
Howell, Mary Higbee Brownell, Eliza Janette Carter,
Mary O. Hoyt, Marcia Jenkins Sawyer, Lida Hiller
Lapsley, Elizabeth W. Dunlap, Ora Belle Cole, Grace
Bisbee Hornoday, Winona Evans Reeves, Minnie A. B.
Newcomb.
Jean Espy Chapter of Fort Madison was organized on
November 14, 1 901, with twenty charter members, and
in 19 14 the membership had been increased to
forty-six, one of whom was a life member. This chapter
was organized through the efforts of Miss Florence
Espy and was named for her ancestor, who had thirteen
descendants in the Continental army during the
Revolution. The line of work laid down by the national
organization is followed, such as marking historic
sites, the observation of patriotic days, and the
encouragement of the study of history in the schools
by offering prizes, etc. The greatest work of this
chapter was the erection of the monument at the foot
of Broadway, in the form of a chimney, which marks the
site of old Fort Madison. A full account of this
monument, its inscription, etc., will be found in
Chapter VIII. Following is a list of the regents of
the chapter, in the order in which they served: Adele
Kretsinger Stewart, Elizabeth Hesser Mason, Maggie L.
Hanchett, Dell Phillips Glazier, Belle Hamilton, James
Preston Roberts, Susanne Hesser Brown, and Sarah
Johnson Casey. Mrs. Brown is a granddaughter of
Frederick Hesser, who served in the Revolution, and
Mrs. M. Katherine Robison, a member of the chapter, is
a great-granddaughter of Betsy Ross, who made the
first American flag.
The Keokuk Woman's Club was organized in January,
1898, with Mrs. William Ballinger as the first
president; Mrs. Joseph Root, vice president; Mrs.
Anette M. Sawyer, secretary; and Mrs. William A.
Brownell, treasurer. The same year the club joined the
Iowa Federation, and continued in the study of
literature, art, dome tic science, etc., until 191 2,
when it was merged into the Civic League. During its
career it planted two rows of trees on Belknap
Boulevard, erected four public drinking fountains on
Main Street, and placed rubbish cans on the principal
streets.
In May, 19 12, the Keokuk Civic League was organized
with a membership of 194 women. The constitution sets
forth that "The object of the league shall be to bring
together women interested in improving the city; to
extend a knowledge of public affairs; to aid in
improving civic conditions and to arouse an increased
sense of responsibility for the safeguarding of the
home and for the maintenance and ennobling of that
larger home of all — the city." The first officers of
the league were as follows: Mrs. Winona Evans Reeves,
president; Miss Lida Gordon Howell, first vice
president; Mrs. James Huiskamp, second vice president;
Mrs. H. T. Herrick, recording secretary; Miss Rachel
Roberts, corresponding secretary; and Miss S.
Elizabeth Matheney, treasurer.
Among the things accomplished by the league was its
aid in the annual "clean up" day, conducting a garden
contest among school children in which 300 took part
and ten prizes were given, and the establishment of a
systematic, sanitary collection of garbage. The
membership is distributed all over the city.
The Keokuk branch of the Ladies of Charity was formed
on January 13, 1914, and is affiliated with the
international society, the headquarters of which are
in Paris, France. The aim of the society is to work
with other organizations in promoting the general
welfare of the community. A number of families have
been aided, and at Christmas time in 19 1 3 a large
number of toys, Christmas dinners, etc., were
distributed among the poor of the city. The officers
in 1914 were: Mrs. Alois Weber, president; Mrs. C. A.
McNamara, vice president; Mrs. I. S. Sawyer, recording
secretary; Mrs. Mary Seibert, corresponding secretary;
Mrs. Joseph O'Brien, treasurer.
The first suggestion for a Visiting Nurse Association
in Keokuk was made by Mrs. C. D. Streeter, president
of the Young Women's Christian Association. Mrs. Hugh
L. Cooper made the first large contribution and the
association was organized on January 1, 1913, with the
following officers: Mrs. Corydon M. Rich, president;
Miss Nettie Younker, first vice president; Mrs. Eugene
S. Baker, second vice president; Miss Laura Alton,
recording secretary; Miss Agnes Trimble, financial and
corresponding secretary; and Miss Elsie Buck,
treasurer. Miss Emma Habenicht was elected visiting
nurse and began her work on February 1, 1913.
The oldest woman's club in Fort Madison is the Monday
Afternoon Club, which was organized by Mrs. Caroline
Cattermole in September, 1899. The constitution states
: "The object of this association shall be the
intellectual and social culture of its members." As
its name indicates, meetings are held on Monday
afternoons at the homes of the members. Half of the
time at each meeting is devoted to study, and the
other half to the discussion of current topics. It is
a member of the Iowa Federation and contributes to all
the great forward movements in which the federation is
interested. During its career the club has had three
presidents, Mrs. Foss, Mrs. Cattermole and Mrs. C. F.
Wahrer.
In 1901 Mrs. Natalie Schafer conceived the idea of
organizing a club of German women for the practice of
the German language and the study of German
literature. The works of Heinrich Heine were the first
to be taken up for study and from this fact the
organization adopted the name of the "Heine Club."
This has been followed by a study of the classics, the
modern poets, novelists and dramatists, varied by
special programs to commemorate some literary
anniversary — such as the one hundredth anniversary of
Schiller's birth. After the program at each meeting, a
social hour of genuine German "Gemuthlichkeit"
follows.
Another active and energetic woman's club of Fort
Madison is the King's Daughters, the first circle of
which, called the Ida Mansfield, was organized on
January 25, 191 1, at the home of Mrs. W. S. Hamilton.
Since that time four other circles have been formed in
the city, and the total membership in September, 1914,
was about one nundred and fifty. One circle has charge
of the rest rooms on Pine Street, and the others are
interested mainly along charitable and civic lines.
The officers of the union in 19 14 were: Mrs. J. H.
Samuels, president; Mrs. H. E. Hershey, first vice
president; Miss Hazel Amborn, second vice president;
Mrs. Lora Schneider, recording sec- retary; Miss Laura
Lofgreen, corresponding secretary; and Miss Florence
Johnson, treasurer.
Keokuk Country Club
One of the most prominent social organizations in Lee
County is the Keokuk Country Club, which, in the
summer of 1 9 1 3, dedicated a handsome new clubhouse
a few miles north of the city on the bluffs
overlooking the Mississippi River. The building stands
on the highest level of the thirty-six acres which
comprise the grounds of the club. Facing the river is
a wide veranda, which opens into a large reception
room. On the first floor there are also a dining room,
kitchen and custodian's room, while upstairs are the
men's quarters, baths, etc. A nine-hole golf course
has been laid out on the grounds by Thomas Bendelow,
the Chicago golf expert, and is one of the finest
links along the Mississippi. The new clubhouse has
been the scene of many parties and entertainments, and
is one of the popular social centers of Keokuk.
Masonic Fraternity
Of all the secret orders Masonry stands first in point
of seniority. A tradition says the order was
introduced in England by Prince Edwin about 926 A. D.,
and there are documents dated back to 1390. Mother
Kilwinning Lodge of Scotland was organized in 1599 and
has been in continuous existence from that time, being
the oldest known lodge in the world. In June, 1717,
the Grand Lodge of England was organized and is the
mother of all Masonic bodies in the English-speaking
world.
In 1730 Daniel Coxe of New Jersey was appointed by the
English Grand Lodge "Provincial Grand Master of the
Provinces of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania in
America." About the same time a provincial grand
master was appointed for the New England colonies.
Before the close of the year a lodge was established
at Philadelphia and one in New Hampshire, each of
which claims to be the first lodge in America.
Masonry was introduced into the Territory of Iowa
under the authority of the Grand Lodge of Missouri,
the first lodge being established under dispensation
at Burlington November 20, 1840. Rising Sun Lodge, at
Montrose, and Eagle Lodge, at Keokuk, held charters
from the Grand Lodge of Illinois, but were known as
Mormon lodges. They continued in existence until some
time after the assassination of Joseph and Hyrum Smith
in June, 1844, though their charters had been revoked
by the Illinois Grand Lodge and they could not
participate in the organization of the Iowa Grand
Lodge in January, 1844.
The oldest organized lodge in Lee County is Eagle
Lodge, No. 12, located at Keokuk. It was organized
under dispensation from the Iowa Grand Lodge, May 2,
1846, with Peter Kinleyside, worshipful master; Lyman
E. Johnson, senior warden; Joseph C. Ainsworth, junior
warden; and Joseph Welch, secretary.
Claypoole Lodge, No. 13, at Fort Madison, although
bearing a larger number than the Keokuk lodge,
received its dispensation about two weeks before that
lodge, the date being April 17, 1846. The charter
members of this lodge were: J. F. Kinney, John
Claypoole, Chapin Allen, Darius Wellington, Jacob
Huner, Thomas Hale, Samuel B. Ayres and Josiah
Kent.
On December 25, 1851, a dispensation was issued to
Hardin Lodge, No. 29, of Keokuk, with Dr. J. F.
Sanford as the first worshipful master, and eight
charter members.
Joppa Lodge, No. 136, located at Montrose, was
organized on April 5, 1858, by Dr. J. F. Sanford, when
he was grand master of the state. The first master of
Joppa Lodge was H. B. Munson, and J. M. Anderson was
the first secretary.
The youngest Masonic lodge in Lee County is Stella
Lodge, No. 440, at Fort Madison.
These are the only five Masonic lodges in the county.
The higher degrees of Masonry are represented by Gate
City Chapter, No. 7, Royal Arch Masons, at Keokuk,
which was organized on Christmas day, 1854; Potowonok
Chapter, No. 28, organized at Fort Madison, April 20,
1863; Damascus Commandery, No. 5, Knights Templar,
organized at Keokuk, December 15, 1863 ; and Delta
Commandery, No. 51, at Fort Madison.
In connection with Masonry there is a "side degree" to
which the wives and daughters of master Masons are
eligible. This degree is known as the Order of the
Eastern Star and the local bodies as chapters. The
oldest organization in the county is Martha Chapter,
No. 5, at Montrose. Diamond Chapter, No. 37, is
located at Fort Madison, and Elmira Chapter, No. 40,
of Keokuk, has over two-hundred members.
All the Masonic bodies of Fort Madison meet in the
hall at the northwest corner of Market and Second
streets, but the Keokuk Masons have erected a fine
Masonic Temple at the corner of Seventh and Blondeau
streets, opposite the postoffice. Work was begun on
this building in August, 19 1 3, and it was dedicated,
with appropriate ceremonies, in July, 1914. It is
three stories high, with a frontage of 112 feet on
Blondeau Street and 66 feet on Seventh Street. It is
provided with elevators, electric lights, steam heat,
modern ventilation, and was erected at a cost of
$75,000, giving Keokuk Masons one of the best homes in
the state. The first floor is divided into offices and
store rooms. There are some offices on the second
floor, but the third floor contains lodge rooms,
ladies' parlor and a Masonic library. In the basement,
which is fourteen feet high, are the ball room and
banquet hall.
Independent Order of
Odd Fellows
The society upon which modern Odd Fellowship is based
was started in England in the latter part of the
eighteenth century under the name of the "Antient and
Most Noble Order of Bucks." About 1773 this order
declined and some four or five years later the words
Odd Fellow first occur in the ritual. In 1813 several
lodges organized the Manchester Unity, and Shakspere
Lodge, No. 1, was soon afterward organized in New
York. The first permanent lodge in the United States,
however, was organized in 18 19 by Thomas H. Wildey of
Baltimore.
The first lodge of this order to be organized in Lee
County is Keokuk Lodge, No. 13, instituted on July 31,
1848, with seven members. Empire Lodge, No. 31, was
instituted on March 18, 1851, at Fort Madison, with
five charter members. The order is now represented in
Keokuk by the original Keokuk Lodge, No. 13, which
meets every Monday evening; Puckechetuck Lodge, No.
43, which meets on Friday evenings; Hermann Lodge, No.
116, which meets on Wednesdays; Puckechetuck
Encampment, No. 7, which holds meetings on the first
and third Thursdays of each month; and Canton Leech,
No. 4, Patriarchs Militant, which meets on the second
Thursday.
On September 9, 1861, Concordia Lodge was instituted
at Fort Madison with ten charter members, and on
January 7, 1868, Fort Madison Lodge, No. 157, was
instituted. These two lodges have been merged into
Empire Lodge, No. 31, which is now the only lodge in
the city. It owns the building at the northeast corner
of Front and Market streets, where regular meetings
are held weekly. The Odd Fellows also have lodges at
Charleston, Montrose, Mount Hamill, Vincennes and
Wever.
In connection with the Odd Fellows there is a ladies'
degree, called the Daughters of Rebekah — generally
spoken of as the Rebekahs. Lodges of this degree are
maintained with practically all the Odd Fellows lodges
throughout the country.
Knights of Pythias
This order was organized in Washington, D. C, February
15, 1864, by Justus H. Rathbone, Robert A. Champion,
William H. and David L. Burnett, and Dr. Sullivan
Kimball, members of the Arion Glee Club. The ritual,
written by Mr. Rathbone, is founded on the story of
Damon and Pythias. On February 19, 1864, Washington
Lodge, No. 1, was organized, but, the Civil war being
then in progress, the order grew slowly until about
1869, when it spread rapidly to all parts of the
Union. The first lodge in Lee County was Morning Star,
No. 5, of Keokuk. At one time there were several
lodges; in the county, but the only ones in existence
in 1914 were Morning; Star and the lodge at
Donnellson.
The Elks
In 1868 a number of "good fellows" in the City of New
York were in the habit of meeting together of evenings
to spend a few hours in social communion, singing
songs, "swapping yarns," etc. A permanent club was
finally organized under the name of the "Jolly Corks."
Some months later, when it was proposed to found a
secret order, the name was objected to as not
sufficiently dignified. A committee was therefore
appointed to select a new name. This com- mittee
chanced to visit Barnum's Museum, where they saw an
elk and learned something of the habits of that
animal. They then suggested the name of "Benevolent
and Protective Order of Elks," w T hich was adopted.
The initials B. P. O. E. are sometimes interpreted as
meaning u Best People On Earth." In 1914 there were
about twelve hundred lodges in the United States. The
motto of the Elks is: "The faults of our brothers we
write upon the sands; their virtues upon the tablets
of love and memory." Under an established rule, lodges
cannot be organized in cities of less than 5,000
population, hence the only two lodges in Lee County
are Keokuk, No. 106, and Fort Madison, No. 374. The
Keokuk Lodge erected a fine club- house on Blondeau
Street in 191 1, modern in all its appointments, and
the Fort Madison Lodge owns the commodious clubhouse
on Front Street, between Market and Pine, overlooking
the Mississippi River. Both lodges have strong
memberships and are in prosperous condition.
Miscellaneous
There are a number of fraternal societies which have
organizations in Fort Madison and Keokuk, among which
are the Ancient Order of United Workmen, the Fraternal
Order of Eagles, the Knights of the Maccabees, the
Modern Woodmen, the Loyal Order of Moose, the Woodmen
of the World, the Royal Arcanum, the Brotherhood of
Locomotive Engineers, the Brotherhood of Loco- motive
Firemen, with their ladies' auxiliaries, the Yeomen,
and a few others.
The Knights of Columbus, a Catholic society, was first
organized at New Haven, Connecticut, in February,
1882, by Rev. M. J. McGivney. The order issues
insurance policies in sums of $1,000, $2,000, and
$3,000, and does a general charitable work among its
members. In 1904 it gave $50,000 to endow a chair of
American history in the Catholic University of
Washington. In 19 14 the assets of the society
amounted to $2,500,000. Local organizations are called
councils. The councils at Fort Madison and Keokuk are
both large in membership and active in carrying out
the work outlined by the national organization.
Shortly after the close of the Civil war the survivors
of the Union army organized the Grand Army of the
Republic, membership in which was limited to those who
had served in the army and navy during the war. Local
organizations are called posts. James B. Sample Post,
No. 170, Department of Iowa, is located at Fort
Madison ; Torrence, No. 2, and W. W. Belknap, No. 515,
are located at Keokuk. The aims and objects of the
Grand Army have been to collect historic relics and
documents of the war, and to mark the location of
troops on the historic battlefields of the nation.
Usually with the post is an auxiliary known as the
Woman's Relief Corps, which has aided in the
charitable work of the order, such as caring for
disabled veterans and the widows and orphans of Union
soldiers. Each year this order grows smaller, many of
its members answering annually to the last roll
call.
Marquette Building, Fort Madison
Charitable
Institutions, Etc.
During the period of settlement in Lee County the
majority of the pioneers were blessed with good
health, and a number of years passed before the
question of caring for the unfortunate poor became one
for the consideration of the county authorities. Those
who needed assistance were usually aided by the
neighbors, and it was not until 1857 that any official
action was taken toward providing a home for the poor.
In that year County Judge Samuel Boyles directed the
building of a poorhouse, or county home. The original
building was 100 feet long and 36 feet wide, with a
wing 36 by 50 feet at each end. The original cost was
$35,000. The institution as thus established served
the county for thirty-five years.
At the election in November, 1891, the Board of
Supervisors submitted to the people the proposition to
build an addition to cost not more than $7,500, which
was carried by a vote of 3,151 to 1,124, and the
repairs were made the following year. A new foundation
was placed under the old building and a wing 68 feet
long, in the same style of architecture, was added. An
eight-inch sewer was run to the creek 640 feet
distant, a cement floor was laid in the basement, in
which the kitchen and main dining room were
established, and the sanitary conditions of the home
were generally improved. Water is furnished from five
wells and four cisterns, and a steam heating plant was
installed at the time the addition was built. The
improvements were paid for out of savings from the
county insane fund, and not a cent of tax was levied
and collected for the purpose. No county in the state
provides better accommodations for the unfortunate
poor and insane than Lee. The county has three farms —
the one of 108 acres where the home is located, the
Leighton farm of eighty acres in Jackson Township, and
the Taylor farm of sixty acres in Montrose
Township.
Hospitals
There is not a public hospital in Lee County, in the
sense that the institution belongs to the public and
receives its support from the public revenues. But
there are two hospitals at Fort Madison and one at
Keokuk that receive patients under certain
conditions.
The Santa Fe Railway Employees' Hospital was built in
1889, at a cost of $75,000. It is located in the West
End, on Santa Fe Avenue, just east of Ivanhoe Park,
has three large wards, each floored with hardwood and
furnished with iron cots, and is complete in all its
appointments. Fifty patients or more can be
accommodated at one time. In the basement there is a
modern laundry, a fine dining room on the first floor,
and the broad portico affords a resting place for
convalescents. It is maintained by the employees of
the railway company, each of whom pays a small
assessment every month for its support, in return for
which they receive medical attention for themselves
and families. Emergency cases are sometimes admitted
when occasion requires. This is an institution in
which the people of Fort Madison feel a just
pride.
Some years ago the Sisters of St. Francis established
a hospital at the southwest corner of Third and
Broadway. It was known as St. Elizabeth's Hospital and
was supported by donations and fees from patients who
were able to pay for hospital services. The building
used by the hospital was formerly a residence. During
its existence it provided accommodations for fifteen
patients at a time.
On October 12, 191 2, the Sacred Heart Hospital, a
Catholic institution located near the church of that
name, was dedicated. This hospital took the place of
St. Elizabeth's and is conducted by the Sisters of the
Third Order of St. Francis, whose mother house is
located at Peoria, Illinois. During the first two
years of its existence nearly five hundred patients
were treated at the institution. The building is a
substantial brick structure, three stories high, with
basement, provided with fire escapes and all modern
conveniences found in the modern hospital.
In Keokuk the Catholics of St. Mary's parish, some
years ago, established St. Joseph's Hospital, one of
the largest institutions of its kind in this section
of the country. Since the first building was erected
large additions have been made to accommodate the
constantly increasing number of patients who come here
every month for treatment. This hospital is modern in
its equipment, and in the corps of physicians and
surgeons are some of the best professional men of
Keokuk.
Charitable Societies
In the late '90s the Keokuk Benevolent Union was
organized at the home of the late Charles K. Birge, on
the corner of Seventh and Bank streets, and the first
home established consisted of a few rooms in a
downtown building. It soon became apparent that more
room was needed, and Mr. and Mrs. Birge donated their
home to the union on June 1, 1900. Since then an
addition of thirteen rooms has been made to the
building, making a total of twenty-five rooms. This is
a home for old people, supported by donations from the
business men of the city and nearly two hundred women,
who annually make contributions for its support. The
institution is known as the "Birge Benevolent Union
Home." The officers of the union in 1914 were as
follows: Mrs. D. A. Collier, president; Mrs. H. H.
Hawkes, secretary; and Mrs. H. W. Radcliffe,
treasurer. Membership can be purchased in the union by
elderly women who wish to make the home their own. A
few have done this, but by far the larger number of
inmates are women without means, who are cared for by
the union.
In December, 1913, the United Charities of Keokuk was
organized as an outgrowth of the Keokuk Humane Society
and the Associated Charities. Under the present
organization the secretary of the society is also the
humane officer and an officer of the
local Board of Health. The
work of the organization consists chiefly of affording
material relief to needy families in -their homes. It
does not maintain a large relief fund for this
purpose, but invites and secures the hearty
cooperation of churches, fraternal orders and
charitably inclined citizens. The society also gives
considerable attention to improvement of home
conditions, the establishment of better sanitary
surroundings in shops and factories, and in caring for
children that they may have the rights of childhood
and the oppor- tunity to grow up into useful men and
women. The officers of the United Charities in 1914
were: Rev. John C. Sage, president; Albert Kiefer,
Mrs. W. J. Roberts, Miss Lucretia Huiskamp and Leonard
Matless, vice presidents; Miss Dorothy Younker,
secretary; Fern Erdman, treasurer; David Glascoff,
general secretary. Mr. Glascoff is a graduate of the
New York School of Philanthropy, and took up his
duties as executive officer of the Keokuk United
Charities on February 16, 1914. In addition to these
officers there are the executive, finance, child
welfare, case conference and indigent children
committees, each composed of a certain number of the
members of the organization, to look after the duties
suggested by the title of the commtitee.
The Penitentiary
Although not a charitable institution, nor an
institution belonging to Lee County, it is considered
appropriate to mention in this chapter the
penitentiary located at Fort Madison. By an act of the
Iowa Legislature, approved January 25, 1839, the
governor was authorized to draw $20,000 appropriated
by Congress July 7, 1838, for the erection of a
penitentiary "within one mile of the public square at
Fort Madison."
The citizens of the town donated and conveyed ten
acres of ground, and on June 5, 1839, Amos Ladd was
appointed superintendent of the building. The
penitentiary as originally constructed provided for
the reception of 138 convicts. The main building and
the warden's house were built within about two years,
but the first convict, Isaac Grimes, was not received
until in 1849. William Anderson was the first
warden.
Several additions have been made to the original
building. The walls measured 400 feet on each side of
the square as at first established, but the inclosed
area was extended west to Olive Street in 1896, the
preceding Legislature having appropriated $5,100 for
the work. With further extensions the dimensions of
the present grounds inclosed within the walls are 712
feet on Fourth Street, 363 feet on Olive, and thence
east and south there are 1,275 ^ eet °f wall to
connect with the wall on Fourth Street. Among the
improvements made since the first prison was erected
are a large power house for furnishing power, electric
light and steam heat, a school, a greenhouse, a modern
hospital, a library containing nearly ten thousand
volumes, and a chapel in which religious services are
held. A modern cellhouse was completed in 1914.
Inmates of the institution are divided into three
classes, each dressed in a different garb, showing the
"social" standing of each convict in the institution.
Convicts, upon entering, are placed in the middle
class. If their conduct proves good they are promoted
to the first grade, but if they fail to comply with
the regulations they are sent back into the third
class and don the stripes as unruly or ill-tempered
prisoners. The warden in 1914 was J. C. Sanders.
Cemeteries
One institution of a charitable nature, yet one which
the pioneers in a new country are always somewhat
reluctant to see make its appearance, is a place of
burial for the dead. One can hardly imagine a more
desolate scene than the first grave in the frontier
settlement. After a number of deaths, when the
cemetery has reached proportions that naturally
require greater care, much of the desolation
disappears and people accept the institution as a
necessary adjunct of modern civilization.
When the Town of Fort Madison was laid out the block
bounded by Front, Maple, Des Moines and Arch streets
was set apart as the City Cemetery. This cemetery is
still in use, though it is almost filled with graves,
and before many years burials must be discontinued.
Elmwood Cemetery, half a mile southwest of the City
Cemetery, was surveyed a few years ago by R. H. Heath
for John C. Atlee. The northern boundary of this
cemetery is Santa Fe Avenue. The original plat shows
192 burial lots. Half a mile north of Fort Madison, on
the Augusta Road, is Cherry Hill Cemetery, one of the
old burial places of the community. Oakland Cemetery,
just west of and across Santa Fe Avenue from Ivanhoe
Park, was opened about 1907. St. Joseph's, a Catholic
cemetery, is a mile north of the city on the Denmark
road. It was surveyed by R. H. Heath on July 24, 1876,
and in the western part of the city is Sacred Heart
Cemetery, the consecrated burial place for the
Catholic parish of that name. There is also a small
burial place in connection with the penitentiary for
convicts who die while inmates of that
institution.
Oakland Cemetery at Keokuk is the principal burial
place in the southern part of the county. It contains
forty acres in the northwestern part of the city, and
was established in 1855. The main entrance, at Carroll
and Eighteenth streets, passes through a beautiful
little park before reaching the cemetery proper.
Within the 40-acre inclosure ten acres are set apart
for a Catholic cemetery, and about two acres as a
burial place for the Jews. This cemetery is controlled
by a commission, which in 1914 was composed of F. T.
F. Schmidt, C. R. Joy and H. R. Jacobs.
There is at Keokuk a national cemetery, established by
the United States Government on September 23, 1861.
During the early years of the war there were five
military hospitals at Keokuk for the recep- tion of
sick and wounded soldiers, and before the close of the
war 770 had been buried in the national cemetery,
eight of whom were Confederate prisoners. The grounds
contain three acres. The superintendent's lodge is a
neat brick building, one and one-half stories high,
and in the cemetery is a platform for conducting
Memorial Day ceremonies.
Country Graveyards
Fourscore years have elapsed since the first white
settlements were established in Lee County. The first
graveyards were established without formality of deed
or incorporation and their early history cannot be
learned. Upon the map of Lee County in the Iowa Atlas,
published in 1904, are marked a number of country
graveyards. In Cedar Township there is a burial place
in the southeast corner of section 6, about a mile
northwest of the old Village of Russellville, and
another in the west side of section 28, about a mile
east of Big Mound.
In Charleston Township there is a cemetery, known as
the Everhart Cemetery, in the east side of section 1,
near the Jefferson Township line; another in the west
side of section 4, a short distance south of
Donnellson, and a third in the southwest corner of
section 26, just south of the Town of
Charleston.
Cemeteries are shown in Denmark Township near the
towns of Denmark and South Augusta, but no burial
place is indicated within the limit of Des Moines
Township.
In Franklin Township, three miles north of the Town of
Franklin, in the northeastern part of section 11,
there is an old burial place that is rarely used in
the present day, and in the northeastern part of
section 29, about a mile and a half north of
Donnellson, is a cemetery of more modern character.
The only cemeteries shown in Green Bay Township are
two, near each other, about a mile north of Wever and
west of the railroad.
In Harrison Township there is a country graveyard in
the northwest corner of section 10, near the center of
the township; one in the northeastern part of section
27, about half a mile south of Primrose, and one in
the northeast corner of section 36, two miles from
Warren.
One of the most historic country graveyards in the
State of Iowa is Sharon Cemetery, located in the
northeast corner of section 4, Harrison Township,
three miles west of the railroad station of La Crew.
This cemetery originated as a neighborhood burial
place, among the earliest burials being members of the
Seeley family, one of the wealthiest families in Lee
County. Eli Seeley, one of the older generation, died
in 1896, and his son, George L. Seeley, innerited a
part of the estate. George L. Seeley died in Texas,
May 24, 1897, but before his death made a verbal
request for the enlargement and adornment of Sharon
Presbyterian Church and Cemetery, founded many years
before, and left a fund for that purpose. Over thirty
thousand dollars were expended in carrying out Mr.
Seeley's request. The cemetery was enlarged from three
to eight acres, surrounded by a stone wall, surmounted
by a non-rusting fence, and $2,000 were expended upon
an ornamental entrance. In addition to all this the
proceeds of a farm of 160 acres were given by Mr.
Seeley for the support of the cemetery.
There is a historic interest attached to Sharon
Cemetery from the fact that here lie buried at least
one soldier of each of the wars in which the United
States has taken part — the Revolution, the War of 181
2, the Black Hawk war, the Mexican war, the great
Civil war and the Spanish-American war. On May 28,
1907, a monument was unveiled over the grave of George
Perkins, a Revolutionary sol- dier, which monument was
erected by the State of Iowa.
In Jackson Township the only burial place of
importance is the one at Keokuk already mentioned. In
Jefferson Township there is a cemetery in the
northeast corner of section 2, about two miles
northeast of Viele and three miles west of Fort
Madison, the only one shown in the atlas above
mentioned.
In Marion Township, a short distance west of the
village of St. Paul, in section 15, there is an old
cemetery; another in the northwest corner of section
26, a mile south of St. Paul, and a third in the
southeast corner of section 29, near an old church.
The one near St. Paul is the property of the Catholic
church of that village.
Montrose Cemetery, the only one of importance in
Montrose Township, was surveyed on August 1, 1867, at
the request of Mrs. Frances E. Billon, one of the
heirs of Thomas Riddick, who became the owner of the
Tesson land grant. It is located in outlot No. 20 of
that grant and the plat was filed in the recorder's
office on September 5, 1867.
In section 16, near the center of Pleasant Ridge
Township, not far from an old church and public
schoolhouse, is one of the first burial places
established in that part of the county. Another old
graveyard in this township is located in the east side
of section 24, not far from the Denmark Township
line.
There are three cemeteries shown in Van Buren
Township, one in the west side of section 24, about
three miles north of Belfast; one about a mile west of
that village, and one a short distance east of Croton.
In Washington Township there is a cemetery in the
north side of section n, not far from Lost Creek, and
one in the south side of section 28, about three miles
north of Fort Madison. The latter is known as Fairview
Cemetery and contains the graves of several prominent
pioneers.
Four cemeteries are shown in West Point Township, one
near the middle of section 2, two and one-half miles
east of the Town of West Point; the Catholic cemetery
immediately south of West Point, in section 5, and
two, near each other, in section 30, in the southwest
corner of the township.
Source: History
of
Lee County, Iowa, by Dr. S. W. Moorhead and
Nelson C. Roberts, 1914
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