LeClaire, Iowa – Birthplace to stars and more
LeClaire, Iowa – the birthplace of American entertainment icons. It started a century ago with the birth of William Cody. Today, it’s Ground Zero for antique junkies. Cody – better known as Buffalo Bill – was born in small cabin near the city limits. Mike Wolfe “birthed” “American Pickers,” a television series based on his antique collecting.
Either way, LeClaire, a town of about 3,800 people, will take the notoriety. The community has more to offer than its show biz connections. Visitors can spend a day or two taking in the sights and sampling the food and drink in the Mississippi River town.
Buffalo Bill’s birthplace is long gone. The cabin now sits in Cody, Wyoming, where tourists there can visit it. The homestead that the Codys moved to shortly after the baby’s birth is located a few miles outside LeClaire. Tours are available and provide a look at life for the youngster. Buffalo Bill’s father, Isaac, built the house in 1847. The house features furniture and artifacts from the time the Codys lived there.
The Buffalo Bill Museum continues the entertainer’s legacy with a look at his life and career. Visitors view a variety of items related to Buffalo Bill, including gloves he wore and some of his rifles.
Several other successful business leaders and inventors called LeClaire home. James “Crash” Ryan invented the “Black Box,” the flight-recording device used in airplanes. He also designed seat belts that we use each time we get in a vehicle.
James Eads called LeClaire home. A self-taught engineer, he designed gunboats during the Civil War, which were early models for today’s submarines. He designed the Eads Bridge in St. Louis, which connects the city with Illinois across the Mississippi River.
The museum also features regional history pieces, as well, including a Civil War display, local industry and a one-room schoolhouse.
The last wooden-hull steamboat resides at the Buffalo Bill Museum. The Lone Star operated on the Mississippi River for nearly 100 years, before being relocated to LeClaire in 1968. The boat once hauled logs on the river and dredged sand. It stands in its own room with glass windows that showcase the Mississippi as visitors tour the boat.
Mississippi River cruising
An actual working riverboat docks nearby. The Twilight offers cruises on the Mississippi River from early may until about mid-October (we’re thinking of a fall foliage cruise). The Twilight offers a variety of river cruises – a 1.5-hour river cruise, 1-day cruise (that departs from Dubuque, Iowa) or a 2-day cruise that departs from LeClaire and spends the night in Dubuque. Dubuque is a beautiful river city with several tourism and entertainment venues.
Iowa is known for its “Freedom Rock.” A western Iowa artist started painting a large boulder near Greenfield about 20 years ago. He updates it annually with new military members to honor. He eventually wants to place one in each of Iowa’s 99 counties. Scott County’s Freedom Rock features Buffalo Bill and other soldiers. The rock is located a short walk from the river’s bank.
Once we finished our visit along the river, Lisa and I headed off to do some “picking” of our own at Antique Archaeology – the original store for the “American Pickers” series on the History Channel. We imagined a huge store with wall-to-wall antiques. Instead, we came upon a small building, about the size of a repair shop garage. I guess the old adage that TV adds 10 lbs. to a person applies to buildings, too. It makes the shop look a lot larger than it is.
The store featured some antiques – such as an old Harley Davidson motorcycle jacket and football helmet – but it had a lot of show merchandise. The store was an interesting place to visit and is definitely popular with fans and tourists, as several people stopped in. Mike Wolfe – the store’s founder – has another location in Nashville.
Lunch at Crane & Pelican
Touring any town can work up an appetite. Friends told us that we needed to dine at Crane & Pelican Café. We were told correctly, as the food was delicious. We enjoyed their lunch menu featuring chicken salad and a Reuben.
The restaurant is located in an old house on a hill overlooking the Mississippi River. So, you can have a stunning view with your meal.
We enjoyed our day in LeClaire. We are planning a return visit (hopefully during fall foliage) that could include staying in a bed and breakfast and taking a riverboat cruise. Regardless, we will be returning to LeClaire. So, obviously, we recommend visiting LeClaire. It’s a short jaunt off Interstate 80.
For more information on LeClaire and its offerings, please visit www.visitleclaire.com or www.visitquadcities.com.
