kˈeɪp dʒˈɜːɹɑːɹdˌoʊ kˈaʊnti wʌz fˈɜːst sˈɛɾəld baɪ ɐ mˈɪks ʌv fɹˈɛntʃkɐnˈeɪdiən ænd ʃˈɔːniː ɹˈɛfjuːdʒˌiːz hˌuː hæd flˈɛd wɪð lˈoːɹɪmiɚ fɹʌm oʊhˈaɪoʊ kˈʌntɹi, ænd sˈuːn ˈæftɚwɚdz mˈuːvd tə ðə spˈænɪʃhˈɛld lˈændz wˈɛst ʌvðə mˌɪsɪsˈɪpi.
Cape Girardeau County was first settled by a mix of French-Canadian and Shawnee refugees who had fled with Lorimier from Ohio Country, and soon afterwards moved to the Spanish-held lands west of the Mississippi.