Lee County is located in the
extreme southeast corner of Iowa. The Des Moines River flows
southeasterly along the southern border, the Mississippi river
flows south along the eastern border, and the Skunk River flows
southeasterly along part of the northern border of the county.
The area surrounding the confluence of the Des Moines and
Mississippi rivers was profitable for fur traders, and a number
of Iowa towns developed from trading posts. The first recorded
history of the county starts with the first explorers, Louis
Joliet and Father Jacques Marquette. The first people the two
explorers met were of the Illinois tribe, and there is debate
whether this meeting took place at the confluence of the Des
Moines and Mississippi Rivers or farther north at the mouth of
the Iowa River. The territory was claimed by France although
never exploited with the exception of the activities of fur
traders.
By the time the Americans arrived after the
Louisiana Purchase the Sauk and Fox tribes inhabited Lee County. In 1805
Lt. Zebulon Pike (of Pike’s Peak fame) was given the assignment of
exploring the Mississippi River and encountered the Des Moines
Rapids, just north of the confluence of the Des Moines and Mississippi
Rivers. Here the river bottom had reached bedrock and this 12 mile long
geological formation proved an obstacle to river traffic on the Upper
Mississippi for nearly a century. In 1808 the U.S. 1st Infantry Regiment
built Fort Madison, the first U. S. military post on the upper
Mississippi River. The fort was built to protect the government
"factory," or trading post, where area Sauk and Fox tribes could
exchange furs and lead for metal implements and other manufactured
goods.
Following the outbreak of the War of 1812, British
agents from Canada incited a group of Sauk and Fox that were led by the
chief Black Hawk against the Americans. In September, 1812, they
besieged Fort Madison. During the siege, the post commander ordered the
burning of the factory, which was outside the fort. Faced with constant
harassment the fort was abandoned in September, 1813. Under cover of
darkness, the men of the garrison slipped away in boats
leaving the fort engulfed in flames. When Fort Madison was settled years
later in 1833 all that was left of the post was a single chimney. The
local chapter of the DAR built a replica monument of the chimney in 1908
at the actual site of the old fort. A reconstruction of the old fort is
in nearby Riverview Park and can be visited during the warmer months.
The first
permanent settlement in Lee County originated when Samuel Muir built a
cabin at the foot of the Des Moines Rapids in 1820. In that year the
steamboat era began on the upper Mississippi when the Western Engineer
arrived at the Des Moines Rapids. Riverboats became the basis for
Keokuk’s early growth and the village provided wood for the steamboats
and keelboats for “lightering,” where goods and passengers were carried
on smaller boats over the rapids. In 1829 the American Fur Company
established a trading post at Keokuk. The trading post, along with
five adjoining cabins, became known locally as “Rat Row.”
By 1860 the small fur trading village,
platted in 1837 and named after a Sauk chief who was friendly with the
settlers during the Black Hawk War, had grown into a thriving commercial
town and acquired the nickname as the “Gate City” because it was the
entrance into the state of Iowa.
Lee
County was first established in 1836 but the boundaries were subject to change
and in 1839 its present boundaries were fixed by the Wisconsin
Territorial Legislature. The county-seat
was first located at Fort Madison. In 1843 the county seat was moved but
returned to Fort Madison in
1845. A rivalry for the county seat soon developed between the
population centers of the county, Keokuk and Fort Madison. In 1847 the
Iowa Legislature granted concurrent jurisdiction to both communities making Lee
County the only Iowa county with two county seats.
While Nauvoo, across the Mississippi River in Hancock
County, IL, is better known for its role in Mormon history, Lee County
played an important part in that history, both before and after the
exodus in 1846 from Nauvoo to Utah. To commemorate the historical events
in Lee County the Mormon Historic Sites Foundation has erected three
interpretive panels at historical locations in Lee County. The National
Park Service has also erected a pavilion with interpretive panels in Linger
Longer Roadside Park, off of US-61. The Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail, the
first of its kind developed by the National Park Service, begins its
Iowa leg at Montrose, across the river from Nauvoo.
During the Civil War Keokuk became a major military center. Most of the regiments from Iowa regiments and some from
states to the north were organized at Keokuk and then shipped off to the
fighting by steamboats. Because of its medical college, Keokuk also
became a center for the wounded and eventually had six hospitals. In
1862 Keokuk donated land from the Oakland Cemetery for the Keokuk
National Cemetery, the first designated national cemetery west of the
Mississippi River. By the end of the war, the cemetery had interred over
600 Union soldiers and 8 Confederate prisoners of war, and currently the
final resting place for over 4,600 American soldiers from all conflicts.
Efforts to overcome the Des Moines Rapids have helped shape Lee County.
In 1838 and 1839 Lt. Robert E. Lee supervised underwater blasting to
create a 5-foot-deep channel through the rapids.
In 1877 a a 6 foot deep 7.6 mile canal
with three locks running along the
Mississippi shore from Keokuk to Nashville, IA was opened.
In 1913 the Keokuk and Hamilton
Water Power Company completed Lock and Dam #19 and the Keokuk Power
House. When it opened the power house was the largest single powerhouse electricity
generating plant in the world. The power house provided electricity for
Keokuk and cities as far away as St. Louis. The power house also
attracted a lot of industry to the Keokuk area.
The lock and dam
obliterated the Des Moines Rapids and created Lake
Cooper, named after Hugh L. Cooper, the designer of the Keokuk Dam. Lake
Cooper is the largest pool in the series of dams along the Mississippi
River with 240 miles of
shoreline.
Lee
County has vibrant tourism organizations to assist visitors in planning
a trip to their area. The county has hosts a variety of events in all
seasons including Bald Eagle Appreciation Days in January and the
Tri-State Rodeo in August. While you're in Lee County be sure to visit
the historic neighborhoods of its communities and the Main Street
business districts which feature many antique and unique specialty shops
and historic architecture. The area offers many enjoyable restaurants
and a variety of lodging options, including bed and breakfasts that
overlook the river. The people of Lee County invite you to come and
enjoy their communities and all that they have to offer.
