Leclaire

The Village of Leclaire was founded in 1890 as an experiment in cooperative living by St. Louis manufacturer N. O. Nelson. Small Victorian cottages with electric lights and running water were built by Nelson's company and sold at near cost to promote home ownership. The innovative Leclaire factory buildings were described by reporter Nellie Bly as the ideal perfection of buildings for man to labor in, and workers were eligible for pension and profit-sharing opportunities. An educational bui...