Tromley and Thomas Doughty, a local engineer, took the small steamer the Le Claire upriver where they conducted an experiment to use a steamboat to push a log raft.

The Le Claire was not powerful enough to control the raft, but the experiment led to a major development in being able to transport logs from the northern forests to the mills further south.

[4] Samuel Van Sant of Le Claire was able to use its results to build a boat that was large enough and had enough power to tow a log raft in 1870.

[4] The older section of the house is in the front and is constructed of brick, that is now painted white, and is capped with a low pitched hipped roof.

A two-story rectangular bay, with a small pent roof separating the two stories, protrudes from the south side of the older section.