Kirkwood, Samuel Jordan (1813-1894), a Republican, served as governor of Iowa and as a United States senator from that state. He held office as governor of Iowa from 1860 to 1864. When the American Civil War started in 1861, he pledged his personal fortune and borrowed from friends to equip volunteers for the Union Army. In 1866 and 1867, Kirkwood was a U.S. senator. He served a second term as governor in 1876 and 1877 and became a senator again in 1877. He joined President James Garfield’s Cabinet as secretary of the interior in 1881. Kirkwood was born on Dec. 20, 1813, in Harford County, Maryland. He died on Sept. 11, 1894. His statue represents Iowa in the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.
