Magdelaine La Framboise | |
|---|---|
 Artist's depiction from descriptions | |
| Born | February 1780 |
| Died | April 4, 1846 |
| Occupation | Fur trader |
| Spouse | Joseph La Framboise |
| Children | Josette and Joseph La Framboise |
Magdelaine La Framboise (1780–1846), born Marguerite-Magdelaine Marcot,[1][a] was one of the most successful fur traders in the Northwest Territory of the United States, in the area of present-day western Michigan. Of mixed Odawa and French descent, she was fluent in the Odawa, French, English and Ojibwe languages of the region, and partnered with her husband. After he was fatally stabbed in the fall of 1806 by a member of the Potawatomi tribe, she successfully managed her fur trade business for more than a decade, even against the competition of John Jacob Astor. After retiring from the trade, she built a fine home on Mackinac Island.
La Framboise founded a school on Mackinac Island for Native American children. She also supported a Sunday school and other activities at the Catholic Sainte Anne Church. She donated land for a new site for the church, and was honored by being buried beneath its altar. As one of the most prominent early businesswomen of the new state, in 1984 she was elected posthumously to the recently established Michigan Women's Hall of Fame.
- ^ David A. Armour, "Marcot, Marguerite-Magdelaine," in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 7, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–, accessed September 11, 2014, http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/marcot_marguerite_magdelaine_7E.html.
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