Mark Twain in Iowa: Iowa Time Machine January 15, 1869

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On January 15, 1869, world-renowned author Mark Twain gave a talk in Iowa City as part of a tour through eastern Iowa. Samuel Clemens, better known by his pen name of Mark Twain, spent time in Muscatine while his brother owned a stake in the Muscatine Journal, and later often returned to the Hawkeye state to give talks.

During 1853-1854, Twain spent significant time traveling on the eastern seaboard of the United States. During that time, he wrote letters that he returned to his brother Orion Clemens. Orion printed many of Twain’s letters, sharing his observations of the eastern United States in the Muscatine Journal. After his return to the Mississippi River Valley, Twain spent enough time in Muscatine for the eastern Iowa city to count him among its most famous citizens. Orion expanded his business ventures to include a printing shop in Keokuk, and Twain spent roughly two years working there. Clemens may have also met a Lee County man named Thomas Sawyer during his stay.

Two nights later, in Keokuk, Twain gave an after-dinner talk at a banquet hosted for the local printers. In the follow-up article from the Keokuk Post, the paper noted the young man’s wit and humor. Twain eventually left Iowa but returned in 1867 for a series of speeches in Keokuk, Davenport, and Iowa City. Back again in 1869, Twain’s lecture at the Metropolitan Hall in Iowa City was titled “The American Vandal Abroad.” Newspapers in Iowa City report the talk wasn’t well-received.

In Twain’s book “Life on the Mississippi,” he noted the sunsets he watched while spending time in eastern Iowa, writing: “And I remember Muscatine - still more pleasantly - for its summer sunsets. I have never seen any, on either side of the ocean, that equaled them.” #Iowa #OTD #History #Writer #Twain