Page:History of Southeast Missouri 1912 Volume 1.djvu/127

 CHAPTER VI CAPE GIRARDEAU DISTRICT Its Limits — Life of Lorimier — First Settlement at Cape Girardeau — Influence With THE Induns — Grants of Authority and Land — Lorimier's Tomb — Name of Cape Gir- ardeau — Cousin — Early Settlers — The Town Laid off — Some of the Early Build- ings — First Incorporation, 1808 — Early^ Settlers Within the District — The Ramsays — The Giboneys — Other Early Families — Settlements in ViVRious Parts of the District. The district of Cape Girardeau was estab- lished about the year 1793, but its bound- aries were not clearly defined. It was sup- posed to extend from Apple creek to Tywap- pitj' Bottoms. Its western boundary was not fixed. Considerable difficulty arose between commandants at Cape Girardeau and those at New Madrid concerning the boundary be- tween their respective districts. The com- mandant at New Madrid insisted that the Cape Girardeau district extended west only to the St. Francois river, and that his author- ity extended west of that stream. The south- ern boundary of the Cape Girardeau district was also in dispute for a number of years. The Governor General of Louisiana finally fixed this boundary at a point five miles he- low the present town of Commerce. This line was afterward surveyed by Anthony Soulard the Surveyor-General of Louisiana. The first settlement witliin the district as thus marked out was made early in the year 1793, by Louis Lorimier. Little is known of the early life of Lor- imier. For a long time it was not known where he was born. We now know that he was born near the city of Montreal, Canada. Just before the breaking out of the Revolu- tionary war, a man whose name was spelt "Loromie" and also "Laramie" came from Canada to Shelby county, Ohio, and estab- lished a trading station between the Miami and the Maumee. This station was called Pickawilly. It was also called from its founder, Laramie Station. Here was carried on an extensive trade with the Indians. Furs were bought from them, and fire-arms, food, ammunition, and whiskey sold to them. The man, Loromie, was a Tory and his place in Ohio became the headquarters for plots against the Americans. The Indians were incited here to make raids against the Americans. Loromie had great influence with them, having married an Indian woman and being possessed of great in- sight into Indian character. So well known was the place as the headquarters for plots and raids that, in 1782, General Clark of the American ai'my came up from Kentucky with a force and destro.yed the place. The follow- ing account is taken from the history of Ohio : 67