LeClaire in Scott County, Iowa — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
The Samuel Van Sant House
LeClaire Pilot's Houses
— Scott County Cody Trail —
Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, July 8, 2023
1. The Samuel Van Sant House Marker
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Industry & Commerce • Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the National Register of Historic Places series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1860.
Location. 41° 36.015′ N, 90° 20.63′ W. Marker is in LeClaire, Iowa, in Scott County. Marker is on North Cody Road (U.S. 67) south of Ewing Street, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 322 N Cody Rd, Le Claire IA 52753, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Old Mill House (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Rambo House (about 400 feet away); LeClaire City Hall (about 600 feet away); The George Tromley, Jr. House (about 600 feet away); Buffalo Bill Museum (about 700 feet away); The Horton-Suiter House (approx. 0.2 miles away); LeClaire Veterans Monument (approx. 0.2 miles away); Green Tree / Buffalo Bill Trail (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in LeClaire.
Regarding The Samuel Van Sant House. Excerpt from the National Register of Historic Places nomination for the house:
A 1˝-story frame house sheathed in narrow clapboards, builtc. 1860. L-shaped in plan, with a relatively wide front gable facing the street, and the main roof parallel to the street. There is a large triangular wall dormer centered in the front of the long arm of the L. Windows have flat enframements with very shallow triangular pediments. A plain wooden porch, tucked into the angle of the L, is a later addition.
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House was associated with Samuel Van Sant, son of the head of the Le Claire Marine Railway boatyards. In the late l860's, while still a young man, Sam Van Sant designed and built the “J.W. Van Sant”, a prototype for a raft boat which was to revolutionize the movement of logs and lumber down the Mississippi River. In the 1880's he moved to Minnesota, and later became governor of that state.
Also see . . . Samuel Van Sant House (PDF). National Register of Historic Places documentation of the house, which was listed in 1979 as part of the Houses of Mississippi River Men Thematic Resource submittal. (National Archives) (Submitted on August 8, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, July 8, 2023
2. The Samuel Van Sant House Marker
Unknown; painting by Herbert Conner via Wikipedia (Public Domain), 1905
3. Samuel Rinnah Van Sant (1844-1936)
A lumber raft he designed as a young man in Le Claire helped make him a fortune in Minnesota, where he served as its 15th governor in 1901-1905.
Credits. This page was last revised on August 8, 2023. It was originally submitted on August 8, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 54 times since then and 9 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on August 8, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
