Antoine Le Claire (also LeClaire; December 15, 1797 – September 25, 1861) was an American military interpreter, businessman, philanthropist, and principal founder of Davenport, Iowa.

Le Claire spoke English, French, Spanish, and a dozen Native American dialects.

After Peoria the Le Claires spent a short time in Arkansas where he observed the movements of Native Americans before moving back to Fort Armstrong in 1827.

[citation needed] In 1832, at the end of the Black Hawk War, Le Claire was present at the peace treaty signing as an interpreter.

Sauk and Meskwaki territories west of the Mississippi River were purchased by the United States government.

[1] Keokuk stipulated that Le Claire build a house on the spot where the peace treaty was signed, or lose the land.

[4][5] George Davenport gathered a group of investors at his home on February 23, 1836, to create a company in order to develop a new town.

It was to be located on the Iowa side of the Mississippi River opposite the town of Stevenson, Illinois, which is now the city of Rock Island.

[6] Le Claire had the town laid out in the conventional fashion of a grid pattern of 36 squares.

The north–south streets retain their original names: Ripley, Scott, Western, Gaines, Brown and Warren.

[1] On his property north of the Rock Island Rapids Le Claire owned and operated a sandstone quarry.

[8] When the first addition was made to Davenport, Le Claire set aside one of the squares for a Catholic church.

In April 1837 he joined with the missionary priest Samuel Charles Mazzuchelli to lay the cornerstone for the original St. Anthony's Church.

[9] When the church decided to establish a third parish in Davenport, Le Claire donated another square on a bluff on the east side of the city for St. Marguerite's, also called St. Margaret's.

[12] The LeClaires hosted members of the Sauk and Meskwaki tribes, who camped on their estate and were allowed to stay as long as they liked.

When his half brother Alexis died in 1849 Antoine and Marguerite informally adopted his son Louis.

[3] Numerous places in the Quad City area of Iowa and Illinois are named for Le Claire.