Keokuk National Cemetery
About this property
Keokuk National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery located in the city of Keokuk in Lee County, Iowa. It encompasses 22.7 acres (9.2 ha), and as of 2021, had over 6,000 interments. It is administered by Rock Island National Cemetery. Keokuk National Cemetery was created in a separate, donated plot of Oakland Cemetery during the American Civil War as a place to inter veterans who died in the five military hospitals in the area. It was one of the original twelve United States National Cemeteries established by President Abraham Lincoln and opened one year before Arlington National Cemetery. By the end of the Civil War, the cemetery had the interments of over 600 Union soldiers, and 8 Confederate prisoners of war. The gravestones distinguish between whom the soldiers fought for. If the soldiers fought for the Union then the graves have round tops whereas those that fought for the Confederacy have pointed tops. In 1908 when Fort Yates, North Dakota was abandoned, the remains in its post cemetery were moved to Keokuk National Cemetery. In 1948, another post cemetery, in Des Moines, Iowa, also had its remains moved to the National Cemetery. Keokuk National Cemetery was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997. The Unknown Soldiers monument was erected in 1912 by the Women's Corps of Keokuk in honor of 48 unknown soldiers buried at the cemetery. $2,000 in funding for the new monument was provided by the Iowa General Assembly. The monument is a large granite obelisk topped with the figure of a Union soldier standing at parade rest. The American War Dads and Auxiliaries of Iowa erected a bronze wreath dedicated to Unknown Soldiers. However the date of dedication of this monument is unknown. Major General Samuel Ryan Curtis, American Civil War officer commanding, Battle of Pea Ridge, Battle of Westport. Private First Class John F. Thorson, Medal of Honor recipient for action in World War II. One Commonwealth war grave, of a Royal Canadian Air Force airman of World War II. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Keokuk National Cemetery Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) No. IA-197-A, "Keokuk National Cemetery, Lodge, 1701 J Street, Keokuk, Lee County, IA", 5 measured drawings Historic American Landscapes Survey (HALS) No. IA-1, "Keokuk National Cemetery, 1701 J Street, Keokuk, Lee County, IA", 28 photos, 3 photo caption pages
Location
Categories
Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Everything a full report reveals about Keokuk National Cemetery
This page lists Keokuk National Cemetery. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Questions about this property
When was Keokuk National Cemetery listed on the National Register?
Keokuk National Cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 3, 1997.
What type of historic resource is Keokuk National Cemetery?
Keokuk National Cemetery is classified as a site in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Keokuk National Cemetery?
The period of significance for Keokuk National Cemetery is recorded as the listed era.
Can I research the history near Keokuk National Cemetery?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Keokuk National Cemetery will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
More in Lee County
Historic places, battles, and census history across Lee County.
Explore LeeCounty ›Research the history near this site
An Aubrey US report for an address near Keokuk National Cemetery will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.