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!