Talk:Cape Girardeau, Missouri
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[edit] Name
Is there any information on the background of the name Girardeau? --Merovingian 03:24, 5 December 2005 (UTC)
- I was able to find this [1] which implies that it was named after Ensign Jean Baptiste Girardot, and later changed in spelling. (presumably to make it even more difficult to spell :-) ). Maybe you or someone else (perhaps from Cape), can try to find another source that is suitable for incorporating into wikipedia. Kenj0418 03:34, 9 December 2005 (UTC)
It was about 1733 that an adventuresome French soldier, Jean D. Girardot, established a trading post in a remote region population by more than 20 Native American tribes. Girardot chose a rock promontory overlooking the Mississippi River as the site for his trading post. Trappers and river travelers soon discocvered this welcome bit of civilization carved out of the vast forest that one day would become Missouri. They called the place "Cape Girardot."
Girardot, a frontiersman and trader at heart, eventually moved on. The man credited with founding Cape Girardeau, Louis Lorimier, came to the area in 1793, commissioned by the Spanish Governor General to establish a military post from which to trade and interact with the Native Americans. From his "Red House" on the site of Old St. Vincent’s Church, Lorimier also served as the city’s first ambassador, welcoming Lewis and clark on their way to St. Louis for their journey into the unknown west, Davey Crockett as he passed thorugh the area seeking recruits for frontier service, and settlers making their way across the Mississippi River.
Under Lorimier’s intelligent government and continuing promotion, the settlement thrived. Although Lorimier -- or some of his companions -- named the post "Lorimont," the name "Cape Girardot" (later modified to "Girardeau") already had gained popular acceptance among the region’s small population. Ensign Girardot’s trading post had long since disappeared, but the mark he left on the region was indelible. ---From the Cape Girardeau Official Page
Why does Wikipedia dislike trivia sections - they're one of the nicest features of an article on people or places. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.29.62.172 (talk) 19:36, 1 February 2008 (UTC)
