Nile Kinnick isn't the only one from Iowa

From Martyr of Idaho. No football but I
like the footwear, hat & casual look.

This post will probably continue to be refined and added to over the next week or so but hitting the publish button now to get it out there in cyberspace.

Nile Kinnick sure has been getting a lot of hits since last weeks blog post. No doubt a lot of Iowan's, particularity Hawkeye fans, and I thank you all for visiting.

If you are family, you already know the Steunenberg's/Keppel's settled in Iowa and many, including Frank and most of his brothers and sisters, were born there. We have Iowa in our blood, historical roots in the state and kinfolk still living there today.  Hence, there is definitely an Idaho/Iowa connection in our family.

Nile Kinnick has family history there too. An interesting parallel is that he was the son of Nile Clark Kinnick, Sr., and Francis Clarke. His maternal grandfather, George W. Clarke, graduated from the University of Iowa in 1878 and served two two-year terms as the Governor of Iowa from 1912 to 1916.

JTR Collection

As for my great grandfather Frank, he was born in Keokuk, raised in Knoxville, and was the fourth of ten children of Bernardus and Cornelia (Keppel) Steunenberg. We know Frank attended a couple years (sophomore in 1883) at that other Iowa school, Iowa Agricultural College (later State College and then Iowa State University) at Ames, and then went on to become a printer's apprentice and publisher. Around i881 he was hired by none other than the Des Moines Register. You will notice that the photograph on the left was taken at a studio in Des Moines (image below). Nope, it doesn't demand the price of a Kinnick but priceless nonetheless.

Frank later published a newspaper in Knoxville until 1886, when he joined other members of the clan who had moved west and settled in Caldwell, in what was still Idaho Territory. Along with his younger brother AK (Albert K. Steunenberg 1863–1907) he took over the Caldwell Tribune for six years. He then seriously entered politics and when Idaho became a state in 1890, Frank was elected to the first state legislature that fall at the age of 29. As they say, the rest is history and you can read about it on this blog and endless other sources.

JTR Collection. Studio of W.C. Edinger*

Related blog posts where you will see these photos and more about Iowa/Idaho connections.

Monday, May 12, 2008
A Teenage Future Governor

Sunday, November 22, 2009
1880 Census - Knoxville, Iowa-Steunenberg Family

Monday, February 14, 2011
COI Archives Spotlight #2 - 1/12/1890 original letter - Frank Steunenberg to family in Iowa 

Monday, February 14, 2011
Transcribed version of letter from Frank Steunenberg to his family.

Friday, January 1, 2010
Albert Keppel "AK" Steunenberg, born 9/11/1863 and died 3/16/1907

Sunday, November 22, 2009
1880 Census - Knoxville, Iowa-Steunenberg Family 

Monday, January 26, 2009
Newly Found Photo of a Young Frank Steunenberg circa 1880 taken in Des Moines

*"The photographer is W. C. Edinger of Des Moines, Iowa. Edinger was an accomplished photographer. His work appeared in the Photo Beacon Magazine (1897) and he is mentioned in Photo-Miniature Magazine (1901). Edinger was also the Secretary of the Photographers Association of Iowa."  From The Cabinet Card Gallery

Addendums

A couple of pages copied from the original old family bible belonging to Bernardus and Cornelia Keppel Steunenberg. I don't see my usual notes but believe these came to me courtesy of Cousin Bill Crookam.  Straighten me out if I got that wrong.

 

As we can see, Bernardus and Cornelia made a pretty good contribution to the population of Iowa. 

Bernardus (JTR Collection)

Cornelia (JTR Collection)

Happen to run across this web page and can't resist a good railway, trolley, interurban, or in this case...Dinkey.  I would bet Frank rode it a few times around Ames and the college. Click on the link below the photo.

Ames & College Railway Dinkey

"Following the demise of the Ames & College Railway, the college terminus Hub served many purposes, including post office, bookstore, snack concession, and ticket office." 

BEAT IOWA!

The Des Moines Register - Old Time Photo: Nile Kinnick

From The Des Moines Register. Nile Kinnick, Iowa Hawkeye.

Click here: The Des Moines Register 4/19/2015

See blog post links below for the Nile Kinnick connection. If you have more information about the Maxwell Club awards to local Philadelphia area high school, college and sandlot players in the late 1930's/early 1940's I would love to hear from you. My uncle Bob Richards played football at Roman Catholic High School, graduated in 1939, went on to sandlot football with the Zephyr A.C. (probably Athletic Club but looking for more information) circa 1940/41 and won a local Philadelphia area Maxwell Award. Kinnick won the national Maxwell Trophy in 1939. Still in search for a possible crossing of paths of Nile and Bob Richards, resulting in the signed photo postcard from Nile to my dad John Richards. See below.

Sunday, September 28, 2014
Bob & John Richards (AKA Ricciotti), Football & Nile Kinnick

Sunday, October 19, 2014
Addendum to Sunday, 9/28/2014 post about Bob Richards (AKA Ricciotti), Roman Catholic High School, Univ. of Iowa Hawkeye Football & Nile Kinnick

JTR Collection

JTR Collection

More Nile Kinnick photos from The Des Moines Register 
(Photos # 30 & 44 taken in Philadelphia, PA 1/9/1940)
 

Capitol Cellars dishes up pork belly and Idaho politics By James Patrick Kelly

Capitol Cellars 110 S. 5th, Boise Ave, Boise, ID 208-344-WINE

4/10/2015 Idaho Statesman: Capitol Cellars dishes up pork belly and Idaho politics

"Make sure to try the Steunenberg salmon ($15/lunch), an inspired entrée that gives props to Idaho’s only governor to ever be assassinated. A fillet of flame-kissed Vancouver Island salmon (crowned with fried leeks) gets leaned on a bed of silky mushroom risotto and wilted kale, while a pool of syrupy malbec gastrique surrounds it all." (It's $20 for dinner).

Capitol Cellars

Hmmm...maybe the Borah Burger later. Of course the Steunenberger came first but isn't around anymore.


No Darrow offerings? How about a good Darrow Pot Roast? 

Now I wonder if I get a family discount on the Steunenberg salmon?

Read more here: http://www.idahostatesman.com/2015/04/10/3742518/capitol-cellars-dishes-up-pork.html#storylink=cpy

Ships lamp from Admiral Dewey to Governor Steunenberg circa 1899

Here's what I am describing as an old ship’s candlestick lamp. It looks like a candle goes in the top and is spring loaded. As the candle burns down, the length of candle in the shaft moves upward. My guess is the metal is brass and has been nickel plated. 

This candlestick was given to Governor Frank Steunenberg in circa 1899 by Admiral George Dewey after the United States victory over Spain in the Spanish-American War. The Governor had sent Idaho troops to serve in the war (click to see related blog post with various other links) and the lamp was a small token of appreciation for their service. The candlestick has been handed down through the family and was given to me by my mother, Brenda Steunenberg Richards, quite a few years ago. 


Having had so few items come down through our family line, this is a very prized possession and connection to that time in history.

For several years, I had the lamp hanging on our living room wall. However, the glass globe would of course be irreplaceable and California earthquakes were making me a little nervous about it. Hence, back into a box with lots of packing material is where the lamp has been hiding out for quite a while.

On the bottom, embossed in the metal, are the symbols for a ships anchor and a compass. Being it came from Admiral Dewey, I would assume a Naval connection. I would like to think that perhaps Dewey "requisitioned" it off his flagship in Manila Bay, the Olympia, after returning home to San Francisco in 1899. Now that I finally got some photos, I will send a few off to the Seaport Museum where Olympia remains at permanent anchorage. I have only seen one other of these same lamps about 5-6 years ago online. It was missing the glass and had no specific identifying information.

If you have other clues or knowledge about this type of lamp, I would be mighty pleased to hear from you.