Dannie D was not home

Dannie D was not home Le Claire, IA

Le Claire, IA Our friend and fellow Cedar Creeker, Darrell, lives near the Quad cities, and we met him in Moline for breakfast. Had a good time catching up and he treated us to a guided tour of the area! Unfortunately his wife Mary could not be us, as she has her hands full with some family obligations, and we missed seeing her….So off we go in Darrell’s fully equipped (Ford) F350 with butt coolers/warmers built into the seats. First stop was Le Claire, Ia, home of the American Pickers, Wild Buffalo Bill Cody, and many craft distillers. American Pickers. Yes, the television show about two guys from Iowa travelling getting other peoples junk/treasure. Well you know we had to go and check out the iconic place where this story started. My first thought was it seemed a lot smaller than shown on tv. Of course with lenses and camera placement it looks like it is on a huge plot of land. But in reality it is tucked back. When we walked in the first thing we noticed was alot of the items we have seen Mike and Frank pick on the shows is right there for you to see. It was good to remember the different shows and sometimes how hard it was for them to get these items.
This Indian was the one that was buried. Pretty cool. Unfortunately Dannie D was not working. Because they all are so popular she has to work from home to get some work done. Bah Humbug. This was a great stop and of course we had to get a t shirt. Next stop, Craft Distillery Mississippi River Distilling Company. We were early but still enjoyed a shot of their Queen Bee Honey Whiskey, yum. Next stop was the Buffalo Bill museum. Le Claire is his hometown, and there is quite a bit of memorabilia. Cody got the nickname “Buffalo Bill” after the American Civil War, when he had a contract to supply Kansas Pacific Railroad workers with buffalo meat.
Cody is purported to have killed 4,282 American bison in eighteen months in 1867 and 1868. Cody was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1872 for gallantry as an Army scout in the Indian Wars. Also, the Lone Star steamboat, the longest running wooden steamboat is preserved here. Our next stop was Rock Island Arsenal. The island was originally established as a government site in 1816, with the building of Fort Armstrong. It is now the largest government-owned weapons manufacturing arsenal in the United States. It has manufactured military equipment and ordnance since the 1880s. John Deere in Moline has a wonderful free John Deere museum. All of the latest equipment is on display with interactive exhibits. Unfortunately there is no mention of the John Deere factory in Grovetown GA. They did show the factory in Pune, India that George went to but not Grovetown. Next Darrell took us to an ice cream/chocolate shop, and when we opened the big wooden door, and enter Lagomarcino’s we stepped back into time. This place was amazing, the staff was very friendly (and busy), the ice cream was terrific. In 1908 Angelo Lagomarcino, immigrated from Northern Italy, founded Lagomarcino’s Confectionery in Moline, Currently a fourth generation is making homemade chocolates and hand made ice cream. The décor of the Moline store (the fourth location downtown) was carefully planned in 1918. The booths were custom built by Moline Furniture Works. The Tiffany lamps lighting each booth were designed in New York. Cassini Tile of Rock Island installed the hexagon terrazzo floor with blue flowers to compliment the lamps. The metal ceiling dates to 1894. The store’s original cigar and candy cases are supplemented by candy cases crafted in the late 40’s or early 50’s, Darrell then drove us back to our truck and we said until we meet again. We both cannot thank Darrell enough for taking time out of his day to be our personal tour guide. He loves his Quad Cities and it shows! Thanks again Darrell!!!
]]>