William and Mary LeDuc moved to Hastings with their daughters, Mary and Florence, in the 1850s. The LeDucs began planning to build their Gothic-style home, and welcomed son William in 1857. When the Civil War erupted in 1861, Mrs. Mary LeDuc moved with her children to live with family in Ohio, while William joined the Union forces as a quartermaster. The family moved into their finished home in 1865, and a fourth child, Alice, was born three years later. The Le Duc house still stands in Hastings, restored and open for tours.