Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1858-06-19
: [Fron p@enport Past and Pr'sent.l
Ine Leclafre. sss1


An,<lne LeclaIre.
Antoine I6Ciaire, was born December
Is. 17g7.1 st. Joseph, Michigan. His faith
er was< Canadian Ficnchman, his mother
the Sfand daughter of Pottowattomie
Cyef. At this time the territory Of the
northwest, out of which half dozen
mighty states have been formed, was peo-
Piled almost solely by the red man, with here
and there one of differen, race, fearless
enough t" brave the perils of frontier life,
iamong the dusky denizens of the wilder
ness the father of Antoine LIE Claire wa.
one of these.
In 1903, he established trading post at
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, exchangin manufac.
tured articles for various kinds OF furs. In
| 1909 he engaged more extensively in the bu-
siness, in connection with John Kinsey, at
Chicago, (Fort Dearborn then) Illinois. In
1912, though surrounded with the Indian
tribes with whom he was trading, and who,
through the influence of British em,nissaries,
were generally hostile to the United States
Mr.. lie Claire espoused the American cause,
engaged actively in the service, --was in the
contest at Peoria, where. with others he was
taken prisoner. The prisoners were confin
ed at Alton, Illinois, but were released dur
ing the same year.
| About this period, at the solicitation of
Gov Clarke, of Missouri, Antoine LIE Claire
entered the government service, and was
placed at school, that he might acquire a
proper knowledge of the English language.
In 1918 he acted as interpreter under Capt.
Davenport, at Fort Armstrong, and the same
year returned to Peoria. where, in 1920 he
married the grand daughter OF the Sac chief,
Acoqua, (the Ketlle.) The same year he
was sent to Arkansas, to watch the move
lnents OF the Indians in that locality. He
was returned to Fort Armstrong in 1927,
and Was present as Interpreter in 1882, when
States purchased 1 a BY which the Un,.so
| the territory west of the Mississippi River.
| In consequence of cholera among the SOL
diers at Fort Armstrong, the treaty, which
would otherwise have been held in the fort,
was transferred to- the Iowa shore opposite.
Here the great chief of the Sa.s, Keokuk,
made a reserve Of section of land, which
he donated to Mr.. lie Claire's wife, requiring
as an only condition that Mr. lie Claire
should build his lonse on the section, and
ON the spot then occupied by the marquee OF
General Scott in making the treaty, which
condition he afterwards filed to the letter.
The Sacs and Foxes also gave him another
section at the head of the rapids, where LIE
Claire now stands. The Pottowattamies. in
the treaty at Prairie du CHEN, reserved two
sections on the Illinois side, which they
presented to Mr.. LIE Claire. The flourish
ing town of Moline is situated on this re-
serve. .. f....'
The treaty was ratified by congress the fol-
lowing winter. In the spring Of 1888, Mr..
LIE Claire erected small building, or sshan-
typ in the then Fox village, Morgan
which had occupied this ground for years
previous. OF the tribe having this as their
head quarters, Maquopom was the head
warrior, and Poweshek, head chief In the
fall of 1884, the Sac and Fox Indians left
here for the Cedar River.
| IL 1888 Mr.. LeClaire was appointed Post
Master at Davenport, and also Justice of the
Peace to settle all matters of differences be-
tween the whites and Indians. His jurisdic-
ton extended over all the territory purahas-
ed of the Sacs and Foxes west of the Missis-
sippi from Dubuque, on the north, to Bur-
| lington on the south. The population Of
| Burlington was, at this time, about two hun
dred; that of Dubuque about two hundred
and fifty, ...... d.. .. l... ....
Mr.. LIE Claire is an accomplished linguist
speaking some twelve or fourteen Indian
| dialects, as well as French and English, and
was present as Interpreter, among other
treaties at thatwith the Great and Little Osa-
ges at st. Louis, 1925, with the Kansas at
st. Louis, with the Chippewas at Prairie du
Chen in 1929, with the Winnebagoes at the
same place in August, same year, at the
same place in 1926, with Sacs and Foxes,
same place with Wnnebagoes in 1882, at
Fort Armstrong held OH Iowa side, with
Saes and Foxes in 1886, at Washington,
with same tribes in 1887, with same tribes
at sacs and Fox Agency in Iowa Territory,
in 1912. ....-..
Mr.. lie Claire was one Of the proprietors
of the town of Davenport, and is still one OF
its active business men. lie is possessed OF
immense wealth, has improved the city by
a liberal expenditure of IL large income, in
erecting churches, and other public build
ings, at his immediate expense. The fine
church of St. Margaret-whose spire reach
es from the lofty bluff till fit would almost
seem to touch the quiet stars, or to mingle
with the cloudy glories of summers day
was built and furnished by the muniti
cence vt Mr.. LIE Claire. Everywhere over
the fair city of Davenport are scattered inns
!
appropriately memoralizes his generosity.
u His progress from the small white house,
on the depot grounds, to the palatial brick
mansion on the blutfs-his physical increase
from the small frame of thirty years ago, to
the portly embodiment of Mr.. LIE Claire of
to-day, presents fine type, both of his in
crease in wealth, and the growth of the city
which he mainly founded. 1t is to be re-
GREETED that history of is life, embracing
its lesser details, could not have been obtain
ed-as his whole course has been repete
with stirring incident, aud romantic adven-
ture. His name, however, will not soon be
forgotten-it is inscribed in the national ar
chieves, is perpetuated in thousand forms
in spire and altar, in wall and street-in
the city of his adoption, while still more
enduringly than all these memorials ofparch-
ment, wood work and masonry, it is writ
ten upon the hearts Of all who know him.
the fact that he is a-PHILANTHRoP1sr and
/ CHRISTIAN. s.ae... .a- .s