Magdelaine Laframboise facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Magdelaine La Framboise
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Artist's depiction from descriptions
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| Born | February 1780 |
| Died | April 4, 1846 |
| Occupation | Fur trader |
| Spouse(s) | Joseph La Framboise |
| Children | Josette and Joseph La Framboise |
Magdelaine La Framboise (1780–1846) was a very successful fur trader. She worked in what is now western Michigan, in the Northwest Territory of the United States. She was born Marguerite-Magdelaine Marcot.
Magdelaine had both Odawa and French heritage. She spoke many languages, including Odawa, French, English, and Ojibwe. She first worked in the fur trade with her husband. After he died in 1806, she ran the business herself for over ten years. She even competed against a powerful company owned by John Jacob Astor.
After retiring, she built a beautiful home on Mackinac Island. Magdelaine also started a school there for Native American children. She supported the Catholic Sainte Anne Church and donated land for a new church building. She was buried under the church's altar. In 1984, she was honored by being added to the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame.
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Early Life and Family
Magdelaine Marcot was born in February 1781. Her birthplace was Fort St. Joseph, near present-day Niles, Michigan. She was the youngest of seven children. Her father, Jean Baptiste Marcot, was French and worked for a fur company. Her mother, Marie Nekesh, was Odawa. Magdelaine's grandfather was Chief Kewinoquot of the Odawa people.
Her father died in 1783. Magdelaine and her sister Therese were baptized as Catholic in 1786 on Mackinac Island. Their mother raised them in the Odawa culture. They learned several languages. After the British left Fort St. Joseph, her mother moved to Mackinac Island with her daughters.
Magdelaine became fluent in four languages: Odawa, French, English, and Ojibwe. Her older sisters, Therese and Catherine, also became involved in the fur trade. They took over their husbands' businesses. These women used their family ties and knowledge of Native American cultures to succeed.
Marriage and Starting a Business
Magdelaine Marcot married Joseph La Framboise in 1794. They had a daughter, Josette, in 1795. Their son, Joseph, was born in 1805. They were married by Odawa custom. Later, in 1804, they had a Catholic wedding ceremony on Mackinac Island.
Magdelaine and Joseph started a fur trading business together. They set up many trading posts in the Grand River Valley in western Michigan. Each fall, they would travel from Mackinac Island to the Grand River area. They brought goods to trade with the Odawa people. They even built the first permanent store in that area. Every spring, they returned to Mackinac Island with the furs they had collected.
Becoming a Successful Fur Trader
In 1806, Joseph La Framboise was murdered. Magdelaine bravely took over their fur trading business. She continued to manage several trading posts. She also expanded her business across western and northern Michigan. She raised her two children, Josette and Joseph. She sent them to schools in Montreal, Canada.
Fur trading was a very profitable business. An experienced trader could earn a lot of money. Magdelaine La Framboise was extremely successful. She earned between $5,000 and $10,000 each year. This was a huge amount of money at that time. People respected her for succeeding in a business mostly run by men.
Mackinac Island was a busy place for trade. Many people of French and Métis heritage lived there. French was the main language. In the summer, the population grew a lot with traders and Native Americans. Magdelaine was not the only woman fur trader. Her sister Therese also worked in the trade with her husband.
Magdelaine's language skills and strong connections with Native American groups helped her a lot. She remained successful even when facing competition from John Jacob Astor's powerful American Fur Company. Around 1818, she started working with Astor's company. Finally, in 1822, she sold her business to them.
Magdelaine La Framboise was 41 years old when she retired. She was a very wealthy woman. She moved into a grand home on Mackinac Island. Her son-in-law, Captain Benjamin Pierce, helped oversee the building of her house.
Life on Mackinac Island
After retiring, Magdelaine La Framboise learned to read and write. She learned both French and English. She supported the first Catholic school for Native American children on Mackinac Island. She even started it in her own home.
Magdelaine was very devoted to Ste. Anne's Church. She taught religious lessons to the children there. She also helped keep the church community strong when there was no regular priest. Her work for the church and for children's education earned her great respect.
When the church needed to move, La Framboise donated land next to her home for the new building. Ste. Anne's Church still stands there today. In return for her generous gift, she asked to be buried beneath the church's altar when she died.
Magdelaine's daughter, Josette La Framboise, married Benjamin Kendrick Pierce in 1816. He was the commander of Fort Mackinac. Benjamin was also the brother of Franklin Pierce, who later became a U.S. President. Josette and Benjamin had two children. Sadly, Josette died in 1820. Magdelaine then took care of her granddaughter, Harriet.
Magdelaine's son, Joseph La Framboise, Jr., also became a fur trader. He lived in Minnesota and Montreal. Magdelaine often visited him. He married a Sioux woman and had a son.
During the 1830s and 1840s, Magdelaine welcomed many important visitors to Mackinac Island. These included French writer Alexis de Tocqueville and American writer Margaret Fuller. Fuller wrote about meeting La Framboise in her book, Summer on the Lakes. She described Magdelaine as a "shrewd woman of business" who was "very ladylike."
Another person, Juliette Augusta Kinzie, described La Framboise as a woman with "a vast deal of energy and enterprise." She also said Magdelaine had a "tall and commanding figure, and most dignified deportment."
Death and Lasting Impact
Magdelaine La Framboise died on April 4, 1846. Father Henri Van Renterghen of Ste. Anne's Church honored her wish. He had her buried beneath the church's altar. Later, in the 1960s, the church was renovated. Her remains, along with those of her daughter Josette and infant granddaughter, were moved to the churchyard. A historic marker there recognizes her contributions.
In 2013, Ste. Anne's Church built a special crypt. Magdelaine and her family's remains were reburied there. Some of her descendants attended the ceremony.
Magdelaine La Framboise's beautiful mansion still stands next to the church. It has been restored and is now a hotel called the Harbour View Inn.
Images for kids
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Artist's depiction from descriptions
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House of Magdelaine La Framboise, Mackinac Island
