The last of the original hydroelectric turbines installed more than 110 years at the Mississippi River dam at Keokuk now sits on permanent display in the city’s downtown.
A giant crane installed the 90-ton iron behemoth in Estes Park, located across the street from Keokuk City Hall. Utility company Ameren donated the turbine to the city two years ago, and the Lee County Board of Supervisors approved plans earlier this year to place the turbine in downtown Keokuk.
The turbine also sits down the street from the Keokuk-Hamilton Dam Museum, which displays a collection of artifacts from the dam and the city’s history.
Museum president Kathy Asbury said the turbine was installed at the dam in 1910. She said the relic in the park will serve as a permanent display.
“You can go out now and see it and stand by the actual turbine,” Asbury said. “You can see the actual size of it.”
Asbury said the foundation that operates the museum received a $115,000 grant from Destination Iowa, a program operated by the Iowa Economic Development Authority. She said the funding paid for transporting and installing the turbine. The money also paid for a four-foot rod iron fence to surround the turbine as well as landscaping and a plaque for the turbine’s new home on the west corner of Main and Fifth streets.
Asbury believes the retired turbine will help attract more visitors to town.
“I think it’s a good tourist attraction,” Asbury said. “It's a good reminder of the rich history that Keokuk has and will hopefully bring people to Keokuk.”
Today, the Keokuk-Hamilton dam has 15 steel turbines that generate hydroelectric power for utility provider Ameren.
The plant generates enough electricity to power 75,000 homes a year.
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