LORIMIER LEAVES MARK ON FORMER TRADING POST

Established on the Mississippi River more than 200 years ago, Cape Girardeau has evolved from a tiny French trading post to a frontier settlement governed by a Spanish commandant to a thriving, culturally-rich community of approximately 40,000 residents in what local residents often say is the only "inland cape" in the world.

It was around 1733 that a French soldier, Jean B. Girardot, established a trading post in a remote region populated by more than 20 Indian tribes. Girardot chose a rock promontory overlooking the Mississippi River as the site for his trading post, which soon became called Cape Girardot.

Girardot eventually moved on and the man credited with the founding of Cape Girardeau, Louis Lorimier, came to the area in 1793.

Lorimier was born in 1748 at Lachiene in the district of Montreal. Records indicate that the family had been there for some years. Louis Lorimier's father was an Indian trader and operated a post at Pickawillany near the port of the Miami and Maumee rivers located in what is now Ohio in 1769. Lorimier's store, "Laramie's station," sometimes called "The Frenchman's Store," prospered and was widely known.

During the American Revolution, Louis Lorimier was a violent and loyal Tory and widely known as a hater of Americans. This political preference was not at all unusual since many of the merchant class were not in sympathy with the revolting colonies. Lorimier's place was often the base for supplying and equipping Indian expeditions against the American frontier outposts. According to tradition, Lorimier paid his Indians for American scalps with British gold.

Lorimier planned and even led some raids. On one occasion in 1778, accompanied by a group of Shawnees, Lorimier and D'Aubin led a raid into Kentucky and attacked Boonesborough. It is unclear whether they captured Daniel Boone or persuaded him to come along to Chillicothe, the principal Shawnee village.

In 1792, Gov. Patrick Henry of Virginia sent Gen. George Rogers Clark into the west to drive the French out of the territory along the Mississippi. Along the way, Clark attacked and destroyed "Laramie's Station." Lorimier barely escaped with his life.

It was not long before Lorimier became a Spanish subject by taking an oath of allegiance to His Catholic Majesty, Charles IV. He was called "Sir" in his trading commission, and he also acquired the courtesy title of "Don" Louis, which was attached by the Spanish to the given names of all their local military leaders.

Sometime prior to 1795, Lorimier and a few of his Indian friends moved to Kaskaskia, Apple Creek and then Cape Girardeau, where he established an independent post in Spanish territory. As a reward for his fine services, the Spanish gave Lorimier a large grant of land in the Cape Girardeau area. These grants were later contested by Gabriel Cerre, commandant of the New Madrid District, but the Governor-General upheld Lorimier's claim. Cerre accepted land of his choice elsewhere instead.

On his land, Lorimier had a building known as "The Red House." This was located on the site now occupied by Old St. Vincent's Catholic Church , and faced the river over a level plot. The building was used as a home, trading post, seat of justice, military headquarters and a social center. Many important travelers stayed at "The Red House." Captains Lewis and Clark stopped there on their way to St. Louis, and David Crockett stopped also when seeking recruits for frontier service.