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Exhibits at the Buffalo
Bill Museum...
WHAT'S
NEW:
-
Room opened just for
"Kids". Children ages 3 to 8 years old accompanied
by an adult can find "hands-on" exhibits they can
explore. We have a pilots' wheel, a musical wall, dress
up area, a place to plant a garden, and much more fun.
Remember all children can do a "find and seek" hunt in
the museum and receive a free prize.
-
Just for the Ladies.
A new room has opened for the Ladies to enjoy looking at
fashions women wore in the early 1900's. Come and view
these clothes to see if you think they will ever come
back in fashion.
-
River Pilots' peer newest
exhibit features "clams" and more "clams". See how
they were harvested from the Mississippi River and how
they were used to make buttons.
- 1939 Chris Craft
Speed Boat on Display
- A 3 foot
hand crafted replica of the riverboat the Robert E. Lee
- Summer
season we display the City of LeClaire's fully restored
first fire truck
"Philip Suiter, Legendary Riverboat
Pilot" in the River Pilots' Pier area of the museum.
Philip's descendants have sponsored the display that
features Philip Suiter, the first riverboat pilot in
LeClaire.
DETAILS and photos of the Exhibit
William F Cody “Buffalo Bill”
(1846 – 1917) was born in LeClaire, IA. His career as a
frontiersman, US Army Scout, and later as a showman touring
throughout the United States and Europe with his “Wild West
Congress” show, has made him a favorite figure among the
many generations of visitors to the museum.
Professor James J. Ryan II, “Crash Ryan”
(1903-1953) was a
1920 graduate of the LeClaire High School, later attending
Iowa State University, and teaching at the University of
Minnesota. As a professor, he tested automobile safety
equipment ranging from a hydraulic bumper to seat belt
designs (thus the nickname “Crash Ryan”). He is most famous
as the inventor of the Ryan Flight Recorder in 1972, or the
“Black Box” of which there is one displayed in the museum.
James B. Eads (1820 - 1887) was a self-taught engineer who
included LeClaire, Iowa as one of his hometowns over the course of
his lifetime. His gunboat designs include the Civil War’s “Iron
Bells” which were the precursor of today’s modern
submarines. However, he is best known for the Eads Bridge
which spans the Mississippi River at St. Louis. His design
was employed steel which was an
unproven component in bridge design.
Cecil Fletcher
(1918-2002 ) was a local musician and
“favorite son,” having composed the “LeClaire Song,” the
official song of the community in which the Buffalo Bill
Museum is located. Along with a love of music, he was
well-known for the miniature replicas of an old school
house, church, and other buildings built to encourage the
community to share his desire to preserve local history. The
museum features a video performance of the “LeClaire Song”
and has a number of his instruments on display.
Red Cross Quilt
(1919) was a fundraiser to support the
wounded soldiers of WWI. A 10-cent donation would allow
volunteers to place your name on an embroidered patch on the
quilt and be one of 834 people who contributed to the fundraiser.
Other quilts are also on display in the museum, and details
about construction is provided.
The “Green Tree Hotel,” the largest Rock Elm on record, was
located at the start of the “Rock Island Rapids” at
LeClaire, Iowa. It was a gathering place and campsite for
river pilots and men seeking work on the river boats.
In 1912 it was entered in the “Hall of Fame for Trees” (when
it was approx. 175 years old) because of its unique role in
local history; in 1964 it succumbed to Dutch Elm Disease. A
museum
exhibit includes a cross section of this
large elm, including its unusual hollow core.
The Lone Star Stern Wheeler (built 1868, decommissioned
1967) is the only surviving example in the United States of
a wooden-hulled boat built in the traditional Western Rivers
fashion. That river system, comprised of the Mississippi,
Ohio, and Missouri Rivers carried most of the immigrants and
freight that settled the Midwest. The Lone Star was
designated a National Historic Landmark and is open to
visitors at the Buffalo Bill Museum. The boat’s enclosure,
The River Pilot’s Pier, has won a significant design award
from the State of Iowa for its “green” design in 2008.
NEW!
The museum has added an exciting
new reason for you to visit the Lone Star Steamer. A new
sound system has been added to the River Pilot's Pier
building where the Lone Star is located. The new sound
system allows you to experience the sounds of the steamer
traveling on the river along with background sounds.
Other exhibits at the museum focus on Mississippi River
history; artifacts and records of LeClaire families such as
household items, clothing and personal effects; recreation
of a one-room schoolhouse accompanied by records from the
school serving the region’s families; manufacturing
exhibits; Indian and prehistoric artifacts.
The gift shop
features books for all ages on local history, Buffalo Bill,
and Mississippi River lore; note cards and costume jewelry;
toys; and lithographs of the Lone Star Stern Wheeler. Now
carrying marbles, Civil War Hats and Geodes, the official stone of Iowa! Crack it open
and discover beautiful crystals!
All purchases are by cash,
check or credit cards.
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