Catherine O'Leary (also known as Cate O'Leary; ca. 1827 – 3 July 1895) was an Irish immigrant living in Chicago, Illinois in the 1870s who became famous when it was alleged that an accident involving her cow had started the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.
She was married to Patrick O'Leary. The couple's son, James Patrick O'Leary, grew up to run a Chicago gambling hall.
Read more about Catherine O'Leary: Chicago Fire, Death and Aftermath, Cultural References