Page:History of Southeast Missouri 1912 Volume 1.djvu/135

 HISTORY OP SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 75 built a small mill in the north part of the town. It followed the plan first used by Cousin in being built out over the water, and was propelled by a screw turned by the ac- tion of the current. Dr. Erasmus Ellis, an- other one of the brothers occupied a log house which stood at the side of the Baptist Church on Lorimier street. Solomon Ellis built a brick residence at the corner of Lori- mier and Bellevue. D. P. Steinback, who was a son-in-law of Louis Lorimier, lived on the corner where the Sturdivant Bank now stands. He and Frederick Reinecke opened one of the first stores in the town. Robert Blair was another one of the prominent cit- izens. He was Judge of the Covirt of Quarter Sessions. He was a native of Ohio, and came to Cape Girardeau about the time of the establishment of the town. After his death, in December, 1810, his widow married George Henderson. Henderson, afterward, became Judge of the Probate Court, Recorder, Au- ditor, Treasurer, and was for a time the Judge of the County Court. Ezekiel Abel was another one of the prom- inent citizens of the old town. By trade he was a blacksmith, but his principal busi- ness during the years he lived in Cape Girar- deau was trading in land and land grants. He erected the first public buildings in this dis- trict. He had some financial difficulties, but finally became wealthy. In 1811 he con- structed the first brick house in the town. It was finished .just in time to be badly dam- aged by the earthquakes of that year. He left a large family, consisting of four sons and two daughters. His eldest daughter, Mary, became the wife of Gen. W. H. Ashley. The younger daughter, Elizabeth, married W. J. Stevenson. The town was incorporated in 1808. The petition which was presented to the Court of Common Pleas, is as follows : "Limits of the town of Cape Girardeau: The town of Cape Girardeau extends in front, 3,058 feet and 9 inches from Botany Street (North Street), the northern boundary, to the Street of Fortune (William Street), the southern limit, inclusively; and its depth is 1,773 feet 2 inches exclusive of Water Street, i. e. from the front of Water Street to the Street of Honor (Middle Street), inclusively, containing 126 acres and %, nearly, the divers parts and divisions of the town to be more particularly designated in the plan of the same. "July 23rd, 1808. (Signed) "Louis Lorimier." "To the Honorable Court of Common Pleas, For the District of Cape Girardeau: Your Petitioners pray that the court will ap- point commissioners agreeable to a law, passed by the Legislature of the Territory of Louisiana, for the incorporating of towns and villages within the state. Territory agreeable to the above metes and hounds. ( Signed ) John Randol, John C. Harbison. James Evans, William White, A. Haden, Isaac ]M. Bledsoe, Rob't Worthington, Joseph White, Charles G. Ellis, J. Morrison, Jr.. D. F. Steinback, Ezekiel Abel. Levy Wolverton, Frederick Gibler. John Tan Gilder." The court granted the petition, and or- dered that an election be held for the selec- tion of five trustees for the town. This elec- tion was held August 13tli. 1808. at which