Famous & Notable Residents

When visiting a place you want to know more about, the area’s famous residents often become part of your conversations with local residents. You may prefer to read some biographical information before, during, or after your visit. Get to know some of the very interesting people who helped give today’s Muscatine its character and personality:
   
     

Muscatine's Famous Residents	A Little Bit About Them
Alexander Clark	An African American diplomat who served as U.S. Ambassador to Liberia and was very involved in civil rights on both a state and national level
Alfred Wilson Lee	Founder of Lee Enterprises, today the fourth largest newspaper group in  the U.S. and parent company of Muscatine’s newspaper, The Muscatine Journal
Dame Margherita Roberti	A dramatic operatic soprano who had an international career. Although she performed all around the globe, she achieved her greatest fame in Italy
John F. Boepple	A German immigrant and master button craftsman who was convinced there was a fortune to be made in making buttons from fresh water mussel shells with their pearl-like coatings found in the Mississippi River. Muscatine became the largest manufacturer of fresh water pearl buttons and the Pearl Button Capital of the World
Mark Twain	The famous author, Samuel Clemens, whose adventures on the Mississippi River and in his imagination are shared through his works
Norman Baker	An inventor and self-proclaimed doctor who professed he was able to cure cancer and radio station border blaster
Oscar Grossheim	A photographer known for his portraits and photographs of the pearl button industry and life along the Mississippi River
William H. Hoopes	A pioneer wholesale dealer and grower of Muscatine Island produce. As a friend of the H.J. Heinz Company’s founder, Hoopes helped bring the Heinz plant to Muscatine