 |
| Antoine Le Claire Davenport Democrat & Leader. March 28, 1918. |
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 anticipated. 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.
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, located 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.”
 |
| Antoine Le Claire built his home on the spot where General Winfield Scott negotiated the Black Hawk Purchase. Later, it became the first depot for the Missouri and Mississippi Railroad. |
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 over time. 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 decided to sit back and wait,
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 Streets, 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.
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 policemen 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 expended 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 short 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).
No comments:
Post a Comment