Since 2010, people all over the world have discovered LeClaire by making specific trips to see Antique Archaeology, the home of “American Pickers,” the hit TV show on the History Channel and local shop owned by Mike Wolfe, the star of the show.
The physical location that started it all features tourist trinkets from printed T-shirts to collectible keychains and the actual garage where episodes are filmed as well as a selection of “picks” found on the show.
The Legacy of Buffalo Bill
Before Mike Wolfe, it was William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody who was most famous as a LeClaire native son. Born and raised in LeClaire, the frontiersman and U.S. Army Scout had a later calling into showmanship with unbelievably popular tours of his Wild West Show throughout the United States and Europe in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
His legacy and notoriety led the LeClaire Women’s Club to establish the Buffalo Bill Museum in LeClaire in 1957, which has become a key attraction. Initially located in a storefront consisting of river pilot artifacts, Buffalo Bill memorabilia, local history and common household items, the museum has evolved over the years in its new riverside location to become a top repository of regional history that brings to life not only the history of Buffalo Bill, but the historical achievements of others in LeClaire as well as Native American contributions and much more.
A Treasure Trove of History
The museum today hosts nearly 20,000 visitors each year from all over world. From April to December, the museum is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m. In January through March, the museum is closed on Monday, but open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m.
One highlight in the museum is the preserved slab of the tree trunk from LeClaire’s famous green elm tree known as the “Green Tree Hotel.” This giant elm stood over 50 ft. high with a canopy over 100 ft. in diameter. Its notoriety stems from its history as a place for riverboat pilots and others seeking work on the river to gather for shade and refuge.
Celebrating Local Heritage
In its 225-year lifetime, the tree survived shore erosion, construction, railroad tracks and storms until succumbing to Dutch Elm disease in 1964. In the late 1990s, LeClaire’s United States Junior Chamber or Jaycees planted a swamp oak on the banks of the Mississippi River and that tree continues to grow as the town’s modern “green tree.”
The Buffalo Bill Museum also boasts another unusual treasure with the Lone Star, the nation’s last working wood-hulled steamboat built in the traditional “western rivers” style that was in service until it was dry-docked in LeClaire in 1967. Museum visitors can explore every nook and cranny of the vessel that is housed in its own building, protected from the elements.
More recently, in October 2014, LeClaire unveiled the Scott County Freedom Rock painted by artist Ray “Bubba” Sorensen II, who has now created a Freedom Rock in each of Iowa’s 99 counties. Each Freedom Rock is dedicated to the men and women who have so bravely served our country and spreads the message of veteran appreciation. The Scott County Freedom Rock in LeClaire stands at the south end of the levee, encircled by bricks with the names of relatives and friends who served honored by those who live in LeClaire.
