For nearly 60 years, one of the most familiar faces in Keokuk was William “Midnight” Richardson. His reputation is one that still “stands” —  a testament to his good nature, dedication, and unique sleeping habits.

 

Willie Richardson was born on Aug. 4, 1867, in Shelbina, Missouri. As a young boy, he moved to Keokuk with his mother, and the town became his home for 74 years before passing away on Feb. 2, 1951. 

 

In 1892, he became a night porter at the Keokuk Union Depot, a career that spanned over 45 years and earned him the affectionate moniker “Midnight.” The role of a night porter required physical strength, vigilance, and a customer-friendly demeanor, which contributed significantly to the overall passenger experience and operational efficiency of the railways.

 

According to “Lee County, Iowa; A Pictorial History” by Jerry Sloat, Richardson had a lifetime aversion to beds and did all of his sleeping either sitting or standing.

 

The reason for this aversion is not clear or confirmed, but a poem written by Lila Wilsey found in a scrapbook donated to the Keokuk Public Library years ago suggested Richardson had past trauma he associated with beds. 

 

“The man who was called Midnight,

Always slept upright. 

He wouldn’t sleep at all in bed,

Because he found his wife there, dead.”

 

Following his death in 1951, The Daily Gate City published a brief tribute to Richardson.

 

“For more than 60 years, he has slept leaning against buildings, sitting on steps or (a) wall, or in the basement of the Union Depot,” the tribute said. 

 

This quirky convention suited Richardson well in his career, as his easy-to-rouse sleeping made him always available to handle baggage, express, and mail at a time when as many as 20 passenger trains per day passed through Keokuk. 

 

Around the time Richardson retired in 1937, Depot Superintendent H.B. Worster sent a letter to “Ripley’s Believe it or Not” founder Robert Ripley, detailing Richardson’s exceptional stamina, commitment to his job, and penchant for sleeping upright.

 

In Worster’s letter, dated March 26, 1937, Worster described Richardson as “an aged negro janitor and platform assistant (who) has lived in the boiler room of the Union Station at Keokuk, Iowa, since 1892 and during that time he has never been to bed.”

 

Worster also told Ripley that Richardson had never been sick in his 45 years of work at the Depot. Furthermore, despite his perceived illiterate status, Richardson's competence and reliability were unmatched. He was responsible for sorting and loading U.S. Mail on mail trains at all hours, a critical task he performed flawlessly for decades. His ability to maintain amicable relations with U.S. Mail clerks, as noted by Worster, was particularly commendable and perhaps as extraordinary as his sleeping habits.

 

“During all these years of service, he has never had a falling out or quarrel with any of the U.S. Mail clerks, which, although you do not know it, is more remarkable than the fact that he has never been to bed,” Worster said.

 

According to a 2015 Daily Gate City article, Ripley had invited Richardson to come to New York City to appear on Ripley’s radio broadcast, but Richardson declined. 

 

Instead, Richardson was spotlighted by “Ripley’s Believe it or Not,” then a syndicated column, which garnered national attention for Richardson and the Depot. 

 

According to the Daily Gate City tribute, in early 1951, Richardson came down with pneumonia and was semi-conscious when he was taken from the Depot to St. Joseph Hospital in Keokuk, where he died a short time later. He was 83. He is buried in Oakland Cemetery on block 34. 

 

In 2015, an anonymous donor and former member of the Keokuk Human Rights Commission donated Richardson’s cane and a photo of Richardson, both framed. Richardson famously used his cane for mobility and prop himself up while he slept. Both have been displayed in the Depot in honor of Midnight, bringing human richness and historical depth to the Depot.

 

The Keokuk Union Depot is currently undergoing extensive renovations but aims to be open at the end of May, when patrons can go and visit the historic building and the display dedicated to Richardson. As the Depot continues to preserve and share its history, Willie “Midnight” Richardson's memory will continue to inspire future generations.

 

Sources:

Daily Gate City, Feb. 6, 2024

 “Lee County, Iowa, A Pictorial History” by Jerry Sloat