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Keokuk Authority record ↗

Explore 5 items related to Keokuk.

Minutes Book of the B'nai Israel Congregation, Keokuk, Iowa, 1885-1906

Minutes Book of the B'nai Israel Congregation, Keokuk, Iowa, 1885-1906

Handwritten minutes book of the B'nai Israel Congregation, Keokuk, Iowa, covering the period 1885-1906. The 206-page ledger includes a 1902 copy of the 1855 deed for the congregation's cemetery on the last page (#384). This book represents the earliest surviving communal records of the Keokuk Jewish community. The book also contains approximately 25 additional documents, including letters related to congregation affairs and bill heads. Keokuk, Iowa, had one of the largest Jewish communities in the Midwest during the 1880s. B'nai Israel Congregation was the first permanent Jewish house of worship in Iowa, founded in 1855, with a permanent synagogue built at 8th and Blondeau streets in 1877.

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Collection of Correspondence and Billheads from Keokuk, Iowa, 1900-1908

Collection of Correspondence and Billheads from Keokuk, Iowa, 1900-1908

This collection comprises ten items: nine letters and one billhead, pertaining to the B'nai Israel Congregation and various businesses in Keokuk, Iowa, dating from 1900 to 1908. The materials include correspondence regarding congregational affairs, as well as business documents such as a bill from the Keokuk Gas and Light company and receipts. The items were found within a handwritten minute book from the B'nai Israel Congregation spanning 1885-1906, suggesting their relation to the broader history of the Keokuk Jewish community. The physical location of these items is varied, and some items are referenced by multiple IDs within the collection.

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