The Red House celebrating Cape founder Louis Lorimier

Although 2012 marks the bicentennial anniversary of Louis Lorimier's death, historians are celebrating the Cape Girardeau founder's life by taking a closer look into his local trade business that supplied early settlers with everything from whiskey to turkeys.

The Red House Interpretive Center kicked off its seven-month observance of Lorimier's life Sunday by donating two ledgers that detail the sales made at his trading post in Vincennes, Ind., and Cape Girardeau to the Cape Girardeau County Archive Center.

"These ledgers help us understand who we are, where we came from and how the city took shape," said Frank Nickell, a history professor at Southeast Missouri State University and director of the Center for Regional History.

Written in French, the ledgers do not contain a narrative of Lorimier's life but lists that include the names of customers and the items they purchased at Lorimier's trading post. The ledger that lists sales for his Cape Girardeau post is dated 1797 and 1798.

Born in Lachine, Quebec, in 1748, Lorimier made his way to Missouri in 1787 after an attack on his Ohio trading post during the American Revolution pushed him west, Red House board of directors member Linda Nash said. Nash's book about Lorimier -- the first of its kind -- is set to hit bookshelves this spring.

Linda Nash talks about the life of Louis Lorimier Sunday at the Cape Girardeau Public Library. (Fred Lynch)

Lorimier came to the Cape Girardeau area in 1791. The area was Spanish, and Lorimier served as a commandant and an Indian agent. His peaceful coexistence with American Indian tribes helped Cape Girardeau and other communities along the Mississippi River serve as a buffer between the violent Osage tribe west of the river and the Americans to the east, Nash said.

"As an agent of the Spanish government, Lorimier tried to make European and Indian cultures work together," Nash said.

In lieu of money, the Spanish gave Lorimier several acres of land, some of which he donated to the city. Lorimier gave the city the area where the Common Pleas Courthouse now sits, Nash said.

In addition to his government duties, Lorimier maintained a successful trade business in Cape Girardeau, and that's what one of the ledgers outlines. Of the items listed on the Cape Girardeau ledger, turkeys, whiskey and geese appear the most. Not much is known about David Brooks, the most mentioned person in the Cape Girardeau ledger, Nickell said.

Dr. Frank Nickell presents the background on the acquisition of two ledgers of Louis Lorimier Sunday, Feb. 26, 2012 at the Cape Girardeau Public Library. (Fred Lynch)

Nickell first noticed the ledgers in an online auction and began trying to raise $5,000 -- the books' asking price. With the help of Dr. John Russell, who donated $2,000, and roughly a dozen donors, Nickell was able to secure the ledgers for $5,875.

"This is one of the most generous donations to history we've had in some time," Nickell said.

The ledgers will be digitized and placed on microfilm, Archive Center Director Steven Pledger said. People who want to view the ledgers will be able to read them on microfilm while the original copies will be stored in a climate-controlled holding area in acid free boxes.

Pledger said he is not sure when people will be able to view copies of the ledgers because they have to be sent to Jefferson City, Mo., to be digitized and microfilmed.

The 40 people who attended Sunday's donation at the Cape Girardeau Public Library were able to see the actual ledgers. Although the ledgers were written in 18th century French and not completely legible, words like "whiskey" and "dinde," which is the French for turkey, stood out to observant attendees.

"This tells us a lot about the region -- who was here and what they were buying," Nickell said.

This is a portion of the day book written in Cape Girardeau at Louis Lorimier's Red House between 1797 and 1798. (Fred Lynch)

The donation started a celebration of Lorimier's life for the Red House Interpretive Center that will end in September. Highlights of the celebration include a June 26 tour of Old Lorimier Cemetery and the Red House annual Fall Frolic on Sept. 29.

psullivan@semissourian.com

388-3635

Pertinent address:

711 N. Clark St., Cape Girardeau, MO

128 Aquamsi St., Cape Girardeau, MO