July 19, 1855 – The 25-ton Antoine Le Claire – the first locomotive to cross the Mississippi River – is transported to Davenport, Iowa via flatboat. The Le Claire cost $12,000 and was highly decorated with red wheels, and a bronze bust of Antoine Le Claire in base relief on the sand box with his name inscribed in gold letters.
Our Picture of the Week is an Our Iowa Heritage blog series that offers you a little bit of Iowa trivia from a large selection of stories on our website. Subscribe to this FREE blog and you’ll get a new email from us daily. Click to learn more.
Pingback: Our Picture Of The Week. | Our Iowa Heritage