A piece of history has been added to a courthouse in southeast Iowa.
Gary Stephenson of Fort Dodge, IA recently approached the Lee County Board of Supervisors about his effort to place a copy of the U.S. Constitution in every courthouse in Iowa.
Stephenson is continuing a project started by his late father. They have combined to place constitutions in about ¾ of Iowa’s courthouses.
The latest is now in the south Lee County Courthouse in Keokuk. It will hang in the 1st floor hallway of the building.
Stephenson provides a large, framed 1934 lithograph of the Constitution. He is reimbursed through the contributions of local residents.
County Supervisor Gary Folluo volunteered to help raise the money needed to cover the costs associated with the lithograph.
He says he had no problem securing donations from a total of ten organizations, businesses and individuals. He believes he could have gotten 200-300 contributions if needed.
Folluo says the timing of the arrival of the lithograph could not have been better as this is Constitution Week.
He says the next step is to raise the money to get a copy into the north Lee County Courthouse in Fort Madison.
DONATIONS
American Legion Post #41 – Keokuk
American Legion Auxiliary #41 – Keokuk
Sons of American Legion Squadron #41 – Keokuk
Ed & Lou Brooks
Ewart’s Fab & Custom Cutting (Leon Ewart)
Peopping, Stone, Bach & Associates, Inc.
K & K Logistics, Inc. (George and Kancy Vermillion, John & Kim Goetz)
Richmond Farms, Inc. (Patrick & Roslyn Hogan; Janeen, Erin, Philip, Brenden & Harlen)
George & Lil Vermillion
Veterans of Foreign Wars – Post 3508