The Sauk leader whose name Iowa's southeastern river city carries to this day.
Keokuk (“the Watchful Fox”) rose to prominence as a leader of the Sauk (Sac) people in the early 19th century along the upper Mississippi. Known as a skilled orator and negotiator, he favored accommodation with the United States during a period of upheaval.
He was a contemporary and rival of the war leader Black Hawk. The Mississippi River city that grew at Iowa's southeastern tip was named Keokuk in his honor, and he is buried there.
Keokuk's name endures on the Iowa city, on Lake Keokuk, and in the region's history. A monument marks his grave overlooking the Mississippi.
A statue of Keokuk once represented the state in national collections, and he remains a notable figure of early Iowa.
The Sauk leader whose name Iowa's southeastern river city carries to this day.
Chief Keokuk was from Keokuk, Iowa.
c.1780–1848.
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Portrait: Wikimedia Commons (public domain or freely licensed).