Samuel J. Kirkwood facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Samuel Kirkwood
14th United States Secretary of the Interior
In office March 8, 1881 – April 17, 1882
President	James A. Garfield Chester A. Arthur
Preceded by	Carl Schurz
Succeeded by	Henry M. Teller
United States Senator from Iowa
In office March 4, 1877 – March 7, 1881
Preceded by	George G. Wright
Succeeded by	James W. McDill
In office January 13, 1866 – March 3, 1867
Preceded by	James Harlan
Succeeded by	James Harlan
5th and 9th Governor of Iowa
In office January 13, 1876 – February 1, 1877
Lieutenant	Joshua G. Newbold
Preceded by	Cyrus C. Carpenter
Succeeded by	Joshua G. Newbold
In office January 11, 1860 – January 14, 1864
Lieutenant	Nicholas J. Rusch John R. Needham
Preceded by	Ralph P. Lowe
Succeeded by	William M. Stone
Personal details
Born	Samuel Jordan Kirkwood (1813-12-20)December 20, 1813 Harford County, Maryland, U.S.
Died	September 1, 1894(1894-09-01) (aged 80) Iowa City, Iowa, U.S.
Resting place	Oakland Cemetery
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Jane Clark
Signature

Samuel Jordan Kirkwood (born December 20, 1813 – died September 1, 1894) was an important American politician. He served as the governor of Iowa two times. He was also a U.S. Senator for Iowa twice. Later, he became the U.S. Secretary of the Interior, a top job in the President's cabinet.

Early Life and Career

Coralville mills in 1870; Kirkwood's mill is on the right.

Samuel Jordan Kirkwood was born on December 20, 1813, in Harford County, Maryland. When he was 17, he started working as a teacher. One of his students was his cousin, Daniel Kirkwood, who later became a famous mathematician and astronomer.

Samuel spent some of his younger years in Washington, D.C. In 1835, he moved with his father to Ohio. There, he became known as a strong opponent of slavery. He joined the Republican Party, which was against slavery.

He was elected to several state jobs in Ohio. He worked closely with Thomas W. Bartley, who later became the governor of Ohio.

Jane and Samuel Kirkwood in 1852.

In 1855, Kirkwood moved to Iowa. He lived northwest of Iowa City. He started a business with the Clark family, who were also from Ohio. They worked together in a milling business. He also bought and sold land with the Clark and Lucas families.

Kirkwood married Jane Clark. She was the sister of Phoebe Ann Clark. This made him the brother-in-law of Edward Lucas. Edward was the son of Iowa's first Territorial Governor, Robert Lucas.

Samuel Kirkwood had planned to stop being involved in politics when he moved to Iowa. However, he became interested in the new Republican Party. In February 1856, he was called from his mill in Coralville to speak at the founding meeting of the Iowa Republican Party. He arrived still covered in flour dust.

His speech was very powerful and helped the Republican Party become successful in Iowa. That same year, he was elected to the Iowa Senate. He served there from 1856 to 1859.

Governorship and the Civil War

Becoming Governor of Iowa

In 1859, Kirkwood was chosen to run for governor. He won against Augustus C. Dodge after a difficult campaign. The main topic of the campaign was slavery.

In 1860, his first year as governor, the John Brown raid on Harpers Ferry made the country even more divided over slavery. Kirkwood strongly supported those who wanted to end slavery.

When Barclay Coppock, a young man from Springdale, Iowa, who was part of Brown's raid, escaped to Iowa, Kirkwood refused to send him back to Virginia. He allowed Coppock to get away.

Iowa's Role in the Civil War

During the American Civil War, Kirkwood became well-known across the country. He worked very hard to get soldiers and supplies from Iowa for the Union Army. He strongly supported President Abraham Lincoln's plans during the war.

He was very active in raising and preparing many regiments of infantry (foot soldiers). He also helped get cavalry (soldiers on horseback) and artillery (large guns) ready for the Union Army.

In 1862, Kirkwood went to the Loyal War Governors' Conference in Altoona, Pennsylvania. At this meeting, governors from Union states showed their support for President Lincoln. This support helped Lincoln issue the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared many enslaved people free.

Life After Governorship and National Roles

The 1864 Kirkwood House in Iowa City.

After his first time as governor ended in 1864, Kirkwood moved to a new house in Iowa City. This house is now on Kirkwood Avenue. He started working as a lawyer. Around this time, he sold his part of the mill business.

Serving as a U.S. Senator

From 1865 to 1867, he served the rest of James Harlan’s term in the U.S. Senate. He then became governor of Iowa again from 1876 to 1877. He resigned as governor in 1877 to start his second term as a U.S. Senator. He served in the Senate again from 1877 to 1881.

Secretary of the Interior

In 1881, Kirkwood left his Senate job. He became the Secretary of the Interior under President James A. Garfield. He held this important position until 1882. Later, in 1886, he tried to run for Congress but did not win.

Samuel Kirkwood passed away on September 1, 1894, in Iowa City, Iowa. He is buried in Oakland Cemetery.

Memorials and Honors

Many places and things are named after Samuel J. Kirkwood to remember his important work.

Statues and Plaques

The Samuel J. Kirkwood statue in the National Statuary Hall Collection in the United States Capitol.

• A sculpture of Kirkwood was made by artist Vinnie Ream. It is one of two statues from Iowa displayed in the National Statuary Hall Collection in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.
• A bust (a sculpture of his head and shoulders) of Kirkwood is in the Vicksburg National Military Park.
• There is a special memorial plaque in front of Iowa City High School.

Schools Named for Kirkwood

• Kirkwood Community College is named after him. This college has several campuses in eastern Iowa.
• Kirkwood Elementary School is located in Coralville, Iowa. This is the town where Kirkwood used to run his mill.

Places Named for Kirkwood

• The town of Kirkwood, Illinois is named in his honor.
• Kirkwood Avenue in Iowa City, Iowa.
• Kirkwood Avenue in Des Moines, Iowa.
• Kirkwood Boulevard in Davenport, Iowa.
• The Kirkwood House in Iowa City is a historic building. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
• The Hotel Kirkwood in Des Moines is also named after him and is on the National Register.