The Road of Honor Committee and the City of Keokuk, Iowa, have been working diligently to reconstruct the road that leads to Iowa’s only national cemetery, Keokuk National Cemetery.
The trees and brush have been removed for the beginning of the project with plans to replace them at the end. The public hearing has been set and the bid requests have been sent out for this $4,000,000 project. The city of Keokuk has received one earmark grant from Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks for $960,000.
On July 21, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln established the Keokuk National Cemetery, the first national cemetery this side of the Mississippi River, and the only national cemetery in the state of Iowa. The Keokuk National Cemetery was established to have a resting place for those soldiers who died in any of our five Civil War hospitals. It is the burial ground for over 6,000 veterans and their family members who, in some way or another, have sacrificed for our freedom. There are over 600 Civil War soldiers, 27 unknown Civil War soldiers, and 11 Civil War confederate soldiers interred here. It is also the resting place for five 5-star generals and one Supreme Court justice, Justice Samuel L. Miller.
On June 30, 2022, the city of Keokuk and the Road of Honor Committee made a proclamation naming South 18th Street from State Highway 218 to the federally owned Keokuk National Cemetery, the Road of Honor. With this proclamation, the Road of Honor Committee hopes that at some point, this road will be given the same amount of respect and consideration as the roads leading to Arlington National Cemetery.
The Road of Honor Committee has reached out to 737 American Legion posts and American Legion Auxiliaries in the state of Iowa for donations to this project. Each Legion was asked to donate $1 per member of their post/auxiliary. To this date, we have received $4,650 in donations to this cause. Pictured are representatives of The Legion and Auxiliary from Keokuk’s American Legion Post 41. To date, we have received donations from 36 American Legion and Auxiliary Posts throughout the state of Iowa. We are most grateful for all donations that have been sent. We are working hard to make Keokuk National Cemetery a tourist destination in Iowa. If you have not visited Keokuk National Cemetery, please come walk this sacred ground.
