Pierre Laclède de Liguest

Marie Therese Chouteau (Bourgeois) 2nd (common-law) husband was Pierre Laclède de Liguest. Their first born son was Jean Pierre Chouteau, born 10 Oct 1758 in New Orleans and died 10 July 1849 in St. Louis. Madame Marie Therese Bourgeois Choteau and Pierre de Laclede were founders of St. Louis. They were not married, and hence, her children bore the name of her legal husband, Chouteau.

Biography

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Lacl%C3%A8de

When first arriving in New Orleans, Laclède is described as handsome.[citation needed] He was said to be olive-skinned with dark eyes, tall and slender.[citation needed] He moved like a fencer with extreme grace and ease and retained an air of command at all time.[citation needed] He was said to have won a swordsmanship duel in France before departure but the prize is unknown.[citation needed]

In New Orleans, Laclède met and fell in love with Madame Marie-Therese Bourgeois Chouteau. It is documented that they had a liaison for many years following, four children together:

1. Jean Pierre (1758),
2. Marie Pélagie (1760),
3. Marie Louise (1762), and
4. Victoire (1764) Chouteau.

Madame Chouteau at the time was married to René Auguste Chouteau. Ten years her senior, Rene had owned an inn and tavern at the time of their marriage. Her mother and stepfather arranged the marriage and considered it good, as they could not give the 15-year-old girl a dowry. But Rene was reportedly an abusive husband. In addition, not long after the birth of their first son, Rene Auguste Chouteau, Jr., called Auguste, left her and their son in New Orleans and returned to France without them. [citation needed]

Soon after founding the post of St. Louis in 1764, Laclède wrote to Madame Chouteau, telling her to come to the colony. Later that year, after she gave birth to her fifth child and Laclède's fourth, she traveled upriver with all their children. Laclède was said to have built a house for them and bequeathed it to them in his will. Madame Chouteau was well loved in the colony; she was kind but sensible, understanding but stubborn. Within a few years, people started referring to her as the "Queen" of St. Louis.[citation needed]

A few years after arriving to St. Louis, René, Madame Chouteau's husband, returned to New Orleans, and required that his wife return to him. By law, he was allowed to do this. Various governmental officials tried to slow down the process of Madame Chouteau returning to her husband, sending letters that ended requiring more letters. Before further action, René Chouteau died in a drunken stupor one night, thus ending his threat.[citation needed]

Namesakes

The St. Louis downtown riverfront area is named Laclede's Landing in his honor. He is also the namesake of Laclede County, Missouri,[2] Laclede, Missouri, the Laclede Gas Company, the Pierre Laclede Honors College at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, Pierre Laclede Elementary School in St. Louis and the Pierre Laclede office tower in Clayton, Missouri. Laclede is also recognized with a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame.[3]

References

• http://digital.library.okstate.edu/Chronicles/v012/v012p171.html
• Reference: MyHeritage Family Trees - SmartCopy: Feb 2 2016, 13:03:29 UTC
• Emigration: Left France on the ship Concorde, bound for New Orleans - June 7 1755 - La Rochelle, France
• Immigration: July 1755 - New Orleans, New Orleans, Louisiana
  • Reference: MyHeritage Family Trees - SmartCopy: Feb 15 2016, 19:12:49 UTC
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Lacl%C3%A8de Cites

1. Pedro Piernas to Unzaga, St. Louis, July 8, 1770 Census of Indian Slaves at Ste. Geneviève and St. Louis, Box 5, folders 19 – 24, Louisiana Collection, BANC MSS M-M 508, Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley
2. Eaton, David Wolfe (1916). How Missouri Counties, Towns and Streams Were Named. The State Historical Society of Missouri. pp. 182.
3. St. Louis Walk of Fame. "St. Louis Walk of Fame Inductees". stlouiswalkoffame.org. Archived from the original on 31 October 2012. Retrieved 25 April 2013.
4. Ravenswaay, Charles (1991). St. Louis: An Informal History of the City and Its People, 1764-1865. Missouri Historical Society Press. ISBN 9780252019159. Retrieved 21 March 2016.
5. "Pierre Laclède", National Park Service biography
6. "Pierre Laclede", St. Louis Walk of Fame
7. Pierre Laclède in the Louisiana Dictionary of Biography – Scroll down to find Laclede.
8. Pierre Laclède at Find a Grave
9. "Remains of St. Louis founder's home believed to have been located"