Samuel Jordan Kirkwood was the only Iowan to serve as governor, U.S. senator, and a cabinet member. He came to Iowa in 1855 to operate a grist mill in this vicinity. Elected governor in 1859 as a Republican, he administered the office with forcefulness and ability during the Civil War. In 1864, he filled a vacancy in the Senate and later served a third term as governor. He was elected senator again in 1877, but resigned to become Secretary of the Interior in 1881. After President Garfield’s assassination, he retired from politics and returned to Iowa City.