Antoine Le Claire was born December 15, 1797, at the place now called St. Joseph, in the State of Michigan. His father was a French-Canadian trader, and his mother the granddaughter of a Pottawattamie chief. In 1808 the father of young Antoine established a trading-post where the city of Milwaukee is now situated, and a year or two later was associated with John Kinzie in the trading-post at Fort Dearborn.

At the instance of Governor Clark, of Missouri, Antoine Le Claire, when about sixteen years of age, was placed in school at St. Louis, where he became familiar with the English language, and obtained the rudiments of an education. When twenty years of age he was taken into the American service, being in 1818 chosen to act as interpreter for Colonel Davenport, at Fort Armstrong. Two years later, at Peoria, he married the granddaughter of A-co-qua ("The Kettle"), a Sac chief, her father being a French-Canadian named Antoine Le Page.

In 1820 Mr. Le Claire was sent to Arkansas to watch the movements of the Indians in that region. After rendering efficient service to the government in various places, in 1827 we find him again stationed at Fort Armstrong, and in 1832 acting as interpreter at the memorable treaty which secured the "Black Hawk Purchase." It was in this treaty that the Sac and Fox chiefs reserved a section of land where the city of Davenport is now situated, as a gift to the wife of Mr. Le Claire, and another section at