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.
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.