Those who attended the July 16, 1998, meeting on Peter Loramie were treated to a tour of the Ferd Fleckenstein Farm, location of the original trading post. Ferd is shown at the far left in the blue shirt. Photo courtesy of Tom Homan.

After five years engaged in the Wabash Valley fur trade, Loramie finally settled in the Cape Girardeau area and worked for the Spanish as an Indian agent charged with resolving differences between the Spanish and the Indians. He also headed the Indian militia, helping Spain defend the Louisiana territory against the encroaching Americans.

He was valuable to the Spanish, and later the Americans, because he spoke 22 Indian languages and was thus able to translate between the Indians and the settlers. "He became an able advocate for the Indians and was very fair in dealing with both sides," Nash said.

Lorimier was well rewarded for his service, receiving more than 30,000 acres of land from the Spanish, according to Nash. He was also given the Spanish title of "Don" and served as commandant of the Cape Girardeau area.

Following Spain's cession of the area to France and the later Louisiana Purchase, Lorimier finally worked for the Americans, becoming U.S. Indian agent in 1806. "He was respected by the Indians for honesty and integrity," Nash said, indicating that Lorimier spent 43 years of his life representing the Indians in some capacity. He died in Cape Girardeau in 1812 after a long bout with tuberculosis and malaria.

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