Marie-Thérèse Bourgeois Chouteau (original) (raw)

Marie-Thérèse Bourgeois Chouteau (January 14, 1733 – August 14, 1814) was the matriarch of the Chouteau fur trading family which established communities throughout the Midwest. She is considered the "Mother" of St. Louis, and was influential in its founding and development, in essence, helping lead to its becoming an important American town and the Gateway to the West.