Our Heritage

Two men were essential in the founding of the city of Cape Girardeau. The first was French soldier Jean B. Girardot. Girardot was traveling through the area and found a rock promontory overlooking the Mississippi River. He decided it was a suitable place to station his trading post. More than 20 Indian tribes lived in the area. Trappers and river travelers also discovered "Cape Girardot" and the world's first inland Cape was born.

Of course, being adventuresome, Ensign Girardot moved on in search of otherdiscoveries. Sixtyyears later, Louis Lorimierwas sent by theSpanish Governor General to establish a military post. The post grew under Lorimier's leadership and he is actually the man credited for founding Cape Girardeau. In 1803, the region became an American possession because of the Louisiana Purchase. Lorimier donated four acres for the establishment of a seat of justice. In 1806, the city was plotted and incorporated into a town in 1808. Louis Lorimier died four years later. He is buried in the historic Old Lorimier Cemetery.

By 1835, Cape Girardeau had become a river boom town with the busiest port between St. Louis and Memphis. Until the Civil War, Cape was a growing town, commercially and even more so with river activity.

During the war, however, Union forces occupied Cape Girardeau. Four forts were built to protect the city. Though a minor battle was fought just outside Cape, the city was spared the damage that overtook many other cities. Only one of the four fort sites remains. Fort D is in the Southeastern part of the city.

After the war, Cape Girardeau continued to grow. Public education was introduced in 1867, and later, rail service, and even advances in agriculture and industry. To prepare students for teaching careers, the Southeast Missouri Normal School was established in 1873. As years went by, the school, its curriculum, and its name changed. The school is now known as Southeast Missouri State University and has more than 8,500 students.

Flour milling promised to bring new life following the Civil War, but in 1873, the St. Louis and Iron Mountain Railroad passed the city by and tapped the district that had been carrying on its trade by way of river. In 1880, Louis Houck built the first railroad to the city. The railroad increased growth and soon other lines were expanded. Regular rail passenger service from St. Louis became available in the early 1900's. Mules drew Cape Girardeau's earliest streetcars. The electric streetcars came in 1906.

The 1900's brought a public library, an airport, and the current Missouri State Flag. The flag was designed and made by two Cape Girardeau residents, Mrs. Marie Elizabeth Watkins Oliver and Miss Mary Kochtitzky, in 1907. The ladies designed and hand sewed the flag in the Oliver House, at 740 North Street. Missouri has had an official state flag since March 1913. The original flag was kept at the Oliver home until Mrs. Oliver passed away in October 1944.

In 1888, the Cape Girardeau Commercial Club was formed. The members went to work immediately on behalf of the city. They convinced the Frisco Railroad to open a line to the city and secured Cape's first major employer the International Shoe Company of St. Louis.

The Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce was formally established in 1917 (which makes our Chamber the second oldest in the state). In 1920, the area had three industries, three poultry farms, six lumber companies, three cigar manufacturers, three filling stations, two flour mills and a broom maker. Today, the area has more than 150 industries employing more than 10,000 workers. Those industries are some of the largest in the country--Procter & Gamble Paper Products, Biokyowa, Inc., DANA Corporation, and Nordenia U.S.A.

Cape's annual retail sales now exceed $1 billion and more than 27,000 people are employed in professional, government, construction, service and retail businesses.

Through the efforts of the Chamber of Commerce, the Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Cape Girardeau Area Magnet Cape stands poised to grow into this new millennium.