Keosauqua, Iowa

City of Keosauqua, IOWA 52565

POPULATION: 1,020

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Brought to you by Van Buren Telephone Company

LOCATION:
Keosauqua is the county seat of Van Buren County, located in the horseshoe bend of the scenic Des Moines River. Highway #1 goes through town with Highway #2 going east and west just four miles south of town. County Highway J40 intersects with Highway 1 through town. This route is part of "Iowa's Woodland Scenic Byway Route."

TELEPHONE COMPANY & SERVICES:
Van Buren Telephone Company is a locally owned telephone company which provides locally based repair service, equal access long distance, DES switcher, disaster recovery services, digital long distance switcher, fiber optics and long distance carriers: AT&T, TNC, Nat. TeleServ, Natural Media, LDDS, US Sprint, Teleconnect, Iowa Network Services, and MCI.

EDUCATION:
Van Buren Community School District provides quality education approximately 700 students that attend school here. The fiber optic network is in use at the school giving an excellent base for education in technology. Indian Hills Community College is located near by.

WELCOME MESSAGE:
Welcome to Keosauqua, a rural community with an appreciation of its heritage and its eye on the future. Opportunities exist for business and industrial development, retirement living, recreation, quality education and excellent health care.

TOURIST ATTRACTIONS & RECREATION:
Lacey-Keosauqua State Park, a 1653 acre park, offers hiking, camping, cabins, swimming, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, bird witching, and wildlife. Lake Sugema , a 574 acre fishing lake, lays just south of the park. The lake is surrounded by 3000 acres of public hunting area. Hotel Manning has served guests since 1899 with rooms furnished with antiques. A motel annex is adjacent to the hotel. Iowa's Oldest Courthouse to remain in continuous use since 1843 is located here. The Pearson House, once a stop for the underground railroad is available for scheduled tours. Riverview Club with a nine-hole golf course, swimming pool and tennis courts is open to guests. The Des Moines River provides scenic views, fishing, canoeing, and boating. Bentonsport National Historic District is just five miles southeast of town with arts, crafts and antiques.

BUSINESS & INDUSTRY:
Keosauqua has an active business district. Industries in the town are:
Barker Co. LTD -- maker of display and refrigeration cases
Barker Wire Products -- maker of a variety of wire products and racks which receive zinc or powder coating
Eagle Plastics -- involved in plastic extrusion
Plaza Enterprises -- maker of pet supplies
J.I.Morton--plastic coasters
Philips Pallets--repair & production of wooden pallets

Keosauqua Chamber of Commerce, Keosauqua Economic Development Association and The Villages of Van Buren provide the community with development services. Revolving loan programs are available for qualified borrowers.

AGRICULTURE:
Keosauqua is surrounded by rolling hills and farm ground which supplies a good base for both row crops and livestock production.

LODGING & RESTAURANTS:
Hotel Manning and Riverview Inn, Riverfront Cabins, The Mansion Inn Bed and Breakfast, and The Duckworth Bed and Breakfast provide a variety of lodging accommodations. Local restaurants serving the town are: The Hotel Manning, Riverbend Steak and Pizza, Ye Old Corner Cafe, The Village Creamery, and Hudson's Circle B.

LOCAL LEGENDS & HISTORY:
Keosauqua is an Indian name for "Big Bend in the River." The town was settled in the 1830's. Steamboats traveled the Des Moines River until the 1860's, at which time the river was declared unfit for navigation. The Mormons traveled through the town on their trek westward in the 1840's. Edwin Manning was one of the "founding fathers" of the community with several of his descendants still making their homes here.

FESTIVALS & CELEBRATIONS:
Lions-4th of July
Bike Van Buren--3rd full weekend in August
Forest Craft/Scenic Drive Festival & Fall Festival of Colors--2nd full weekend in October
Christmas in the Villages--1st full weekend in December

REAL ESTATE:
There are several good building lots available in town. Industrial building sites and commercial business buildings are available. The town has a tax abatement program for residential, industrial and commercial construction.

CHURCHES:
United Methodist Christian United Church of Christ Baptist Lutheran

LIBRARY:
The Keosauqua Public Library has statistical records and newspapers on microfilm, Internet access computer, genealogy records, open access check-out, videos, books on tape and a wide variety of books and reading materials.

BRAGGING RIGHTS:
Keosauqua is a progressive rural community with many amenities of much larger communities. Industry has shown constant growth over the last few years. Fiber optics into town puts the community on the superhighway of technology. Van Buren County Hospital and Clinics is staffed by three full-time physicians and several regular specialty clinics. Emergency air service to Iowa City serves the hospital. The hospital is in a pilot program with the University of Iowa Hospital for using fiber optics in health care. Van Buren Good Samaritan Center is a 75-bed nursing home. A 48-unit Senior Citizen Housing Complex is available.

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