Antoine Le Claire
started his life as an Indian trader and interpreter. After the Black Hawk War,
Le Claire launched his second career as a town builder.
At first, he worked as a jack of all trades. Le Claire
became the first justice of the peace in Iowa in 1833. The following year, he
established a ferry service between Stephenson (present-day Rock Island) and
Davenport. On April 19, 1836, Le Claire became the first postmaster of
Davenport. Early accounts say he carried the mail in his coat pockets.
After the City of Davenport was laid out in 1836, a
steamboat loaded with investors arrived at Davenport in time for the sale, but
fewer lots were sold than expected. At best, fifty or sixty lots sold, and
then, for lower prices than expected. The new city was off to a slow start and
would continue at that pace for nearly a decade.
From all accounts, Le Claire cultivated his town much as a
farmer would his fields, watering it and adding a touch of fertilizer when
necessary. Everything written about Antoine Le Claire referred to his generous
nature. “Mr. Le Claire is a wealthy man,” reported the Rock Island
Weekly Argus, “and he knows what use to make of his wealth. Mr. Le Claire
has always been the first on the list in every enterprise intended to benefit
the town and state in which he lives.”
When the town was laid out, Le Claire set aside Lafayette Square for a courthouse. Several other lots were provided for parks and playgrounds. He donated land or money to build many churches in Davenport and gave an entire block on Main and West Fourth Streets for St. Anthony’s, the first church in Davenport.
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| Antoine Le Claire house in Davenport |
Le Claire opened his purse strings again for the construction of St. Marguerite’s Church.
Antoine Le Claire and George Davenport built the city’s
first hotel in 1836. A few years later, Le
Claire invested $35,000 in building the Le Claire House, at the northeast
corner of Main and Second Streets. The hotel became a must-stay spot for
travelers and the staging place for many of the area’s events. Ralph Waldo
Emerson stayed there in December 1855. He noted that Antoine Le Claire received
two sections of land from the Sac and Fox thirty years before his visit. Now,
“his property has risen to the value of five or six hundred thousand dollars.”
Emerson was right. Antoine Le Claire was the richest man in
Iowa, just ahead of ex-governor Grimes.
Land made Le Claire rich. He “became, for all practical
purposes, the owner of a newly settled town,” said author Timothy R. Mahoney,
“and often acted as if he owns it, or certainly paternalistically supported
it.”
Stephen
Hayes, a visitor to Davenport in the summer of 1845, agreed with that
assessment. He said George Davenport “amassed a large fortune” and
was easily worth $200,000. He guessed Antoine Le Claire was worth half that.
It was
hard for visitors to miss Le Claire. He grew
fat in girth and wealth. He stood
five feet eight inches tall and weighed in at 386 pounds, and traveled about
the city in a buggy drawn by a white horse.
In the early 1850s, everyone talked about the railroads and
how they would change everything if they ran through Davenport. The only thing
missing was money. While many of the area’s wealthy men sat back and waited,
Antoine Le Claire subscribed $25,000 toward the building of the line and
donated land for the yards.
When construction started, Le Claire lifted the first
shovel of dirt for the Mississippi and Missouri Railroad on September 1, 1853.
“The Odd Fellows came forth in regalia, the German singing societies took a
hand, and two brass bands furnished the music.” The procession marched from the
front of Le Claire Row to the corner of Rock Island and Fifth Street, where the
first shovel of dirt was moved.
“Mr. Le Claire pulled off his coat, descended from the
stand, seized spade and wheelbarrow, and proceeded to the spot. Amid loud and
frequent cheers, he addressed himself to the work with as much expedition as
might have been expected of one who tipped the scale at 360 pounds.”
Le Claire delivered a short and simple speech. “Years ago,
the great Chief Keokuk gave me freely of the lands hereabout, and I, in turn,
am giving freely to this railroad of these lands, for right of way for its
tracks and for its shops and yards.” Then he offered his home for use as the
first depot.
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| Antoine Le Claire |
The first rail in Iowa was laid on June 29, 1855. The first train made its run from Davenport to Muscatine on January 3, 1856. And then, in 1866, the road was absorbed into the Chicago Rock Island & Pacific Railroad.
George Sargent and Ebenezer Cook opened a bank in Davenport
in 1847. Their bank was in danger of failing in the winter of 1858/1859. The
banking firm of Macklot & Corbin challenged them because of their wildcat
currency, as did the Davenport Democrat and many local
merchants. Antoine Le Claire, George L. Davenport, and several other prominent
citizens backed their notes. At the same time, George Sargent traveled to Boston,
searching for financing.
Cook & Sargent did not open on the morning of December
16, 1859. John Burrows recollected that it looked like there were a thousand
people outside the bank clamoring to get in. Two police officers guarded the
front door, and another watched the side door.
Rather than see the bank go under, Le Claire guaranteed
their deposits with his personal fortune, as did the firm of Burrows and
Prettyman. The cash infusion kept Cook & Sargent open for a while.
Eventually, they failed—and came close to taking Le Claire, Burrows, and
Prettyman down with them.
Antoine Le Claire laid out the town named after him in
1838. Like its sister city, Davenport, it got off to a slow start. In 1852,
the Democratic Banner lamented that Antoine Le Claire had spent
all his efforts in building Davenport. “One blast upon his bugle horn were
worth a thousand men building a town.”
Still, the town was coming along nicely. Le Claire’s
population had grown to seven hundred by 1852. It had four churches, some
twenty-five brick houses, and another one hundred and twenty frame homes.
There were dozens of stores, two harness shops, three
blacksmiths, and two wagon makers. And Lemuel Parkhurst had built a fine brick
hotel called the Le Claire House. They even had a school with fifty students
that was run by Mr. Marks.
Antoine Le Claire died of apoplexy (a cerebral hemorrhage
or stroke) on September 25, 1861. His passing didn’t come as a complete
surprise, though. The week before his death, Le Claire had a paralytic stroke,
though it was thought he’d made a full recovery.
“Davenport has never seen a ceremony more imposing than
that with which her first settler was buried,” reported the Daily
Democrat and News. “Business was almost suspended. The streets were crowded
with spectators as the body of him who has been seen on those streets almost
every day for thirty years was carried in solemn procession to its long home.”
Ten men carried the funeral bier, but they were relieved at
regular intervals because of the heavy burden. Eight young ladies dressed all
in white walked on either side of them. The family followed behind in three
carriages, and behind them marched the choir of St. Marguerite’s.
Father Pelamorgues conducted a quick service at St.
Anthony’s Church on Main Street. From there, the procession proceeded to St.
Marguerite’s Church, where Father Pelamorgues performed another, longer
service. The body was then taken to the churchyard, where it was interred.
Davenport’s first citizen and benefactor was gone. It would
take another thirty-six years to fully settle his estate, valued at roughly
$440,000 (a little over $13,000,000 in today’s money).
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