Keokuk History Center

02/10/2026

This is sure to be an interesting program!

Iowa historian Doug Elam will be presenting on the history of Iowa's Poor Farm Cemeteries on Tuesday, February 24th at 5:15 p.m. Don't miss out, Doug has some interesting tidbits to share about Lee County!

02/03/2026

This post has nothing to do with quokkas
(an Australian marsupial).
But now that we have your attention...Keokuk History Center will be having a workday on Saturday, February 14, 2026 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM at the Miller House Museum (318 N. 5th Street).
We’re working on our collection holdings so bring boxes if you have some to spare!

02/03/2026

The next meeting for the Keokuk History Center will be on Monday, February 9th at 5:30 PM at the Keokuk Public Library (changed from the Miller House).

We are also planning a work day to continue deaccession of some items. The work day will be on Saturday, February 14 at 10 AM. We're been doing a few hours at a time so it shouldn't interfere with any valentine's day plans 😉 If you have boxes we can use for storage, please bring them along!

12/22/2025

Christmas is just three days away and we have the perfect gift - 2026 Keokuk History Center calendars! The theme for the year is churches of Keokuk and the historic photos are incredible.

You can pick one up at the Keokuk Public Library, Daily Gate City, The Lost Canvas, or Java River.

We also offer free shipping on them, although they wouldn't be delivered before Christmas.

12/05/2025

Christmas is just around the corner and we have the perfect gift for the history-lover in your life: a 2026 Keokuk History Center calendar! Each calendar is $20 and features churches from Keokuk's history.

You can pick one up in Keokuk at the Keokuk Public Library - Keokuk, Iowa, Java River Cafe and Bakery, the Lost Canvas, or the Daily Gate City; in Hamilton at Carriage Works Antiques.

Need it shipped? As a holiday gift to you, we're offering free shipping!

11/25/2025

On this day sixty years ago, Keokuk experienced an incredible tragedy. At 9:30 PM an explosion rocked the Armory where a square dance was being held on Thanksgiving Eve. In the days that followed, twenty-one people lost their lives and parts of Keokuk were forever changed. This evening, take a moment to honor the lives lost and to note the way the community came together in the days and weeks after.
Virtual cemetery listing for those who died:
https://www.findagrave.com/virtual-cemetery/2045548

Bickel scrapbook containing articles from the days, weeks, and months after the tragedy (trigger warning as this file contains photos of the collapsed building and descriptions which, while used at the time, we would not see printed in modern publications).
https://www.keokuklibrary.org/_files/ugd/8a535c_bc2fbd9a91644508aa014baf71ef788b.pdf

A curated virtual cemetery.

11/03/2025

Have you purchased your 2026 Keokuk History Center calendar yet? If not, pick one up soon as they're available in a limited quantity. Each calendar is $20.

You can pick yours up at Carriage Works in Hamilton, or in Keokuk at Java River, the Daily Gate City, the Lost Canvas, or the Keokuk Public Library.

10/08/2025

2026 calendars have arrived!

We have chosen "Churches of Keokuk" for the theme this year and we hope this calendar is a fitting tribute to churches of Keokuk's past.

They are $20 each, checks can be made payable to Keokuk History Center.

Pick up a calendar (or a few!) at one of the following locations:
- Carriage Works Antiques in Hamilton,
- Lost Canvas
- Java River
- Daily Gate City
- State Central Bank
- Watering Can
- Keokuk Public Library

09/21/2025

Thank you to everyone who came to Keo-Con this weekend to celebrate local history!

My deepest thanks goes out to our hard working volunteers who planned and made this happen, our speakers who brought us a wealth of knowledge, and to our vendors and collectors for sharing their items with us.

Our gratitude to Derr Motor Co., Tri-State Windows and Pool, and Hartrick's for their sponsorships, Gingerbilly's food truck for the lunch options, and First Christian Church for hosting the event.

This was a big idea to put into action, but I'm so glad we did it!
Angela Gates
KHC president

09/20/2025

We have more programs coming up this afternoon!
Join us for racing presented by Shane Etter, 60 in 60: architecture and preservation in Keokuk presented by Neal Vogel, and our keynote address "Justice Samuel Freeman Miller."
Gingerbilly's food truck has arrived for your lunch needs as well!
Admission is $25 at Keo-Con, held at First Christian Church 3476 Main on Keokuk.

Keo-Con is a new event to the Tri-State area! This two day event will highlight speakers on a variety of local history topics and will include a keynote address by Michael Ross, author of "Justice of Shattered Dreams: Samuel Freeman Miller and the Supreme Court during the Civil War Era."

09/20/2025

We had a DELIGHTFUL evening at Keo-Con! Our three speakers tonight were so great to hear from and the collectors and vendors truly have some great stuff. And tomorrow, we do it again with MORE great programs.

What: Keo-Con: a local history convention and symposium

Where: First Christian Church, 3476 Main, Keokuk

Cost: Saturday admission is $25

When: Doors open at 8 AM on Saturday, September 20. Programs run at 9, 10, and 11 AM, then a break for lunch from 12 to 1. Programs continue at 1 and 2 PM with the keynote address starting at 3 PM.

Why: Because history is AWESOME amd we have so much of it in our city!

09/19/2025

Its time, its time, its Keo-Con time!
Join us at First Christian Church (3476 Main, Keokuk) for day one of Keo-Con!
On Friday, doors open at 5 PM, the first program begins at 6 PM. On Saturday, doors open at 8 AM with the first program beginning at 9 AM.
Tickets are available at the door, $25 for a single day or $40 for a two day pass.
See you soon!