BlockFrom the record
10 National Register listings published here.
Sources: the National Register database, National Park Service
Keokuk County, Iowa
27 topographic sheets cover 27 settlements here, and 10 properties are on the National Register of Historic Places.
Research this county
What the record shows
- 191 topographic sheet readings cover the county's settlements.
- 10 properties here are on the National Register of Historic Places: 9 buildings and 1 district.
- 1 of the 10 listings was added during the 1970s.
- The Geographic Names Information System records 27 populated places in this county; 27 are covered by at least one topographic sheet.
Places on the National Register
10Every property in this county listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with the year it was listed and the federal nomination document.
| Photograph | Property | Type | Listed | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Bruce Goldfish Fisheries | building | 1982 | 82002626 |
| Hayesville Independent School | building | 2014 | 90001195 | |
 | Keokuk County Courthouse | building | 1981 | 81000251 |
 | Lancaster School | building | 1984 | 84000010 |
 | Masonic Opera House | building | 1973 | 73000733 |
 | Public Square Historic District | district | 1999 | 99000487 |
 | Saints Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church | building | 1986 | 86002277 |
 | Sigourney Public Library | building | 1983 | 83000381 |
 | C.F. and Mary Singmaster House | building | 1998 | 97001608 |
| Theodore White House | building | 1983 | 83000382 |
Wildfire, 2006 to 2020
59 firesEvery wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 59 of them, burning about 1,035 acres. None started naturally and 2 were recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 30 |
| Debris and open burning | 25 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 2 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 1 |
| Smoking | 1 |
The five largest, by the area the report gives. None of them was recorded as arson.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 April 2014 | Debris and open burning | 150 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 18 March 2017 | Debris and open burning | 150 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 25 April 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 100 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 17 March 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 90 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 21 March 2017 | Debris and open burning | 80 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 19 February 2017 | Debris and open burning | 60 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 13 June 2017 | Debris and open burning | 40 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 28 April 2018 | Debris and open burning | 40 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
Every settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it - see the settlement index below.
Storms, 1959 to 2026
60 of 282 shownThe NOAA Storm Events Database holds 282 reports for this county, causing 3 deaths, 43 injuries and about $35,491,200 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.
| Kind of event | Reports |
|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 137 |
| Hail | 71 |
| Tornado | 31 |
| Flood | 22 |
| Flash Flood | 15 |
| Funnel Cloud | 2 |
| Lightning | 2 |
| Winter Weather | 1 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 |
The most serious of them, by death, then injury, then recorded damage. The accounts are quoted exactly as the forecast office filed them.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 2014 | Tornado (EF1) | Martinsburg | 2 killed | NWS storm survey teams determined that a tornado developed in far northern Wapello County, crossed Keokuk County and southeastern Iowa County, and ended in rural southwest Johnson County. This entry is for the portion of the tornado that affected Keokuk County. ||This long track tornado started east of Highland Center and traveled at about 60 mph to the northeast. The circulation was initially very broad and began to tighten as it progressed to the northeast. The tornado moved into Keokuk County at around 323 pm CDT (223 pm CST). It then created a near-continuous damage path across Keokuk County, with damage primarily to outbuildings, trees, and power poles. In Martinsburg, a tied-down mobile home was also pushed to the north off its block base. Two fatalities occurred, one west of Martinsburg and on north of Kinross. Both fatalities were associated with people who were outdoors and caught in debris from outbuildings that were destroyed. ||The tornado was on the ground for about 30 miles across Keokuk County. It exited Keokuk County at about 352 pm and moved into Iowa County near the junction of the Keokuk-Iowa-Washington county lines. |
| June 1984 | Tornado (F4) | not stated | 1 killed, 33 hurt, $25,000,000 | no account filed |
| September 1965 | Tornado (F3) | not stated | 4 hurt, $250,000 | no account filed |
| March 2023 | Tornado (EF4) | Talleyrand | 3 hurt | Another large, violent tornado developed in eastern Keokuk County as the initial tornado was weakening southwest of Keota. The tornado tracked to the northeast, on the western fringe of Keota, and crossed into Washington County near the intersection of Keokuk-Washington Road and 180th St. The tornado then continued through northwest Washington county, extreme southeast Iowa County, and into far southwest Johnson County. The tornado severely damaged several homes near Keota, wiping one house completely off its foundation, resulting in EF-4 level damage. A car was lofted in the air and tossed about 1000 feet into a nearby field and trees were completely debarked with only stubs of the largest branches remaining. As the tornado tracked west of Wellman, Iowa it knocked over a 325 ft cell phone tower. The tornado began to dissipate as it tracked into far southwest Johnson County. The tornado was rated EF-4 in Keokuk County, EF-3 in Washington County, and EF-1 in Iowa and Johnson Counties. |
| June 1984 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | 1 hurt, $2,500,000 | no account filed |
| July 1982 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | 1 hurt, $250,000 | no account filed |
| April 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Martinsburg | 1 hurt | The Emergency Manager reported that a barn was blown down. Time of the event was estimated by radar. |
| June 2008 | Flood | Delta | $570,000 | no account filed |
| May 2010 | Flood | Coal Creek | $500,000 | Heavy rains during the second week of May resulted in the Skunk River at Sigourney going above the moderate flood stage level of 18 feet on May 13 around 5 am. It crested several times between 19.1 and 19.3 feet from 7pm May 13 to 1 pm May 16. It finally fell below the moderate flood stage level around 9 pm May 17. |
| June 2010 | Flood | Coal Creek | $500,000 | Heavy rains during the second and third weeks of June resulted in the Skunk River at Sigourney going above the moderate flood stage level of 18 feet on June 12 around 11 pm. It crested above major flood stage around 22.2 feet at 7 am June 16. After falling below the moderate flood stage on the 23rd, it rose back above it on the afternoon of the 26th. It crested again at 18.2 feet at 1 am June 27. It fell below the moderate flood stage level around 4 am June 27. |
| May 2009 | Flood | Coal Creek | $500,000 | Heavy rains during the last week of April resulted in the North Skunk River at Sigourney going above the moderate flood stage level of 18 feet on April 30th around 11 am. It crested around 19.17 feet around 8:45 pm April 30. It fell below the moderate flood stage level around 6 pm on May 1. |
| August 2010 | Flood | Coal Creek | $500,000 | no account filed |
| August 2009 | Flood | Coal Creek | $500,000 | no account filed |
| May 2003 | Hail | South English | $500,000 | no account filed |
| May 2003 | Hail | North English | $500,000 | no account filed |
| June 2009 | Flood | Coal Creek | $250,000 | Heavy rains during the middle of the month resulted in the Skunk River at Sigourney going above the moderate flood stage level of 18 feet on June 22nd around 5 am. It crested around 19.13 feet around 1115 pm on June 22 and again around 18.56 feet around 1145 pm on June 23. It fell below the moderate flood stage level around 3 pm June 24. |
| August 2010 | Flood | Coal Creek | $250,000 | no account filed |
| July 2010 | Flood | Coal Creek | $250,000 | no account filed |
| July 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | What Cheer | $250,000 | no account filed |
| May 1988 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| November 1988 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| April 1987 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| March 1966 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| May 1959 | Tornado (F3) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| August 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Kinross | $100,000 | Wind gusts estimated to be 70 mph partially ripped the roof off of a hog confinement building, damaged a grain bin, and snapped several trees along Highway 22 just east of Kinross, IA around 2 am CDT August 3. |
| June 2010 | Flash Flood | Sigourney | $100,000 | Heavy rains resulted in flash flooding of several roads in Sigourney, IA during the morning of June 15. |
| June 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Countywide | $100,000 | no account filed |
| April 2001 | Tornado (F0) | Kinross | $90,000 | An F0 tornado tracked from southwest of Kinross into the community. The public also reported several funnel clouds near the tornado. The tornado damaged farm out buildings. In Kinross, several house were damaged significantly, and many others had roof and siding damage. A shed housing two cars was also destroyed. There was substantial damage to trees and an orchard in the town. There were no injuries. |
| October 2007 | Tornado (EF1) | Delta | $75,000 | This EF1 tornado, with an estimated wind speed of 100 mph, touched down at 635 pm CDT 1.8 miles northeast of Delta, near Highway 92. The tornado moved northeast at 45 mph for a distance of 1 mile, and had a maximum width of 100 yards. A cattle barn and machine shed were destroyed. One house sustained moderate structural damage, while another house received minor damage. A 3-ton horse trailer was lofted and then rolled 200 feet. Numerous trees were snapped off, and there was damage to corn and soybean crops. No injuries or fatalities were reported. |
| May 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Sigourney | $50,000 | Wind gusts estimated to be 60 mph blew a semi trailer over onto its side in Sigourney, IA around 635 pm on May 8. This report was relayed by the KCRG TV weather team. |
| April 2008 | Tornado (EF0) | South English | $50,000 | An EF0 tornado moved northeast for about 2 miles just northeast of South English. Some shingles were blown off a few houses, some outbuildings and a machine shed were damaged or destroyed, and some trees were blown down. |
| July 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Keswick | $50,000 | no account filed |
| August 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Sigourney | $50,000 | no account filed |
| April 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Martinsburg | $40,000 | Four power poles were snapped between Martinsburg and Hedrick on Highway 149. Delayed report. |
| April 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Sigourney | $40,000 | A roof was blown off a garage and another outbuilding. |
| July 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Sigourney | $40,000 | Large tree limb down |
| May 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Sigourney | $35,000 | Severe thunderstorm winds estimated at 80 mph by spotters destroyed one building and damaged others at the county fairgrounds. The roof and walls of the commercial exhibition building were torn off, scattering debris eastward into other buildings. 2x4 boards were driven into the roof of the main fair building. Damage at the fairgrounds was estimated at $30,000 to $35,000. |
| August 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Hayesville | $30,000 | Also 1 West of Hayesville; heavy damage to a grain silo with power poles snapped in half. |
| June 2007 | Lightning | Kinross | $25,000 | Lightning struck a house, traveled through the wiring, and ignited a fire in the basement of a house. |
| June 2006 | Tornado (F1) | Keota | $25,000 | landspout; rated F1 with winds estimated around 90 mph |
| May 2002 | Tornado (F0) | Richland | $25,000 | A brief spinup tornado, along the leading edge of a cluster of thunderstorms, produced heavy damage to a farmstead south of Richland. Power lines and large trees were knocked down, and a machine shed and grain bin were destroyed. No injuries were reported. |
| August 1990 | Tornado (F0) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| November 1988 | Tornado (F0) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| June 1983 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| May 1971 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| June 1960 | Tornado (F0) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| June 2011 | Flash Flood | Coal Creek | $20,000 | Heavy rains resulted in flash flooding during the late night hours of June 14 and morning hours of June 15 in and east of What Cheer, IA to about 6 miles south of Sigourney, IA. Several roads were covered by the flood waters. Coal Creek overflowed its banks. Highway 21, Barnes Street, in What Cheer was flooded. Griffin Park and a baseball diamond in What Cheer flooded. A home was surrounded by water at least 1 foot deep. Several area rivers and streams and farm fields were flooded. |
| July 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Sigourney | $15,000 | no account filed |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | What Cheer | $10,000 | Wind gusts estimated to be 70 mph blew part of a roof off of the grandstand at the fairgrounds, tore part of a roof off a brick building on Main Street, downed power lines, and damaged numerous trees and branches in What Cheer, IA at 825 pm CDT June 18. |
| July 2003 | Hail | What Cheer | $10,000 | Trees also downed |
| August 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | What Cheer | $6,000 | Also reported by spotters; limbs down and tin roof off an outbuilding |
| August 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Delta | $6,000 | Tree damaged; antenna off roof |
| April 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Sigourney | $5,000 | A shed collapsed due to straight line winds estimated to be 60 mph near Sigourney. Delayed report. |
| June 2008 | Flash Flood | Keota | $5,000 | Heavy rains resulted in flash flooding in Keota, IA during the early morning hours of June 27. Some homes in Keota reported flooded basements. |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ollie | $5,000 | Wind gusts estimated to be 60 mph blew down some tree limbs and power lines in Ollie, IA at 7:40 pm June 8. |
| August 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Hedrick | $5,000 | Winds estimated to be 70 mph destroyed a gazebo and blew down numerous trees in Hedrick, IA. |
| July 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | What Cheer | $5,000 | no account filed |
| July 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wellman | $5,000 | no account filed |
| August 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Sigourney | $3,000 | Large branches down |
| June 1992 | Tornado (F0) | not stated | $2,500 | no account filed |
Mines and quarries
20 recordedThe Survey's mineral resources record lists 20 workings inside this county. 3 still produce and 17 are closed or unrecorded. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.
| Commodity | Workings |
|---|---|
| Stone, Crushed/Broken | 16 |
| Clay | 3 |
| Clay, Bituminous | 1 |
The least common of them first, because a county's hundredth gravel pit says nothing its first ten did not.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What Cheer Clay Products Co. Pits | Clay, Bituminous | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Clay | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Clay | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Clay | Past Producer | ||
| Alvin Cater Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Delta Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Just Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Keota Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Keswick Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Knowler Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Kreise Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Lake Yemruogis County Park | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Ollie Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Taylor Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer |
Every populated place in the county
27Named settlements recorded in the Geographic Names Information System, each with the topographic sheets covering it. Villages, hamlets and abandoned places alike. Each is shown with the nearest named watercourse or landform and the survey quadrangle it falls on.
-
Creswell
Lafayette township · 52335 · South English quadrangle
7 sheets, 1954 to 1982
No longer a settlement
-
Ioka
Jackson township · 52576 · On Twin Grove Creek · Pekin quadrangle
7 sheets, 1954 to 1982
No longer a settlement
-
Rosetta
Washington township · 50268 · What Cheer quadrangle
7 sheets, 1954 to 1982
No longer a settlement
-
Vulcan
Washington township · 50268 · What Cheer quadrangle
7 sheets, 1954 to 1982
No longer a settlement
The vanished settlements of Keokuk County: the places named above that are no longer on the map.
Provenance
- Topographic sheets. USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection, county index, measured from the bulk metadata.
- Fire insurance maps. Library of Congress Sanborn collection, faceted to this county.
- Photographs. Each place queried individually against the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs search.
- Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
- Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
- Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.