February 11, 1805

Birth of Jean Baptiste Charbonneau, the only child ever depicted on a U.S. coin. He was born to Sacajawea during the Voyage of Discovery with Lewis and Clark. Jean Baptiste came to St. Louis for his education. He had fantastic adventures in the western U.S., Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean. Read more about Jean Baptiste in Tales From Missouri and the Heartland

TRIVIA: Kirkwood author Anna Lee Waldo tells us that to hasten her baby’s birth, Sacajawea was given a tea made from rattles taken from the giant snakes in the cave at St. Alban, Missouri.

This post was contributed by Ross Malone. A historian and a retired school teacher, Ross has authored many books about Missouri’s history, weird facts, and folk tales. He has also written children’s  historical fiction. Visit his website, and buy his books in the Missouri Life store.

Wikimedia Commons photo by Glenna Goodacre