Meriwether Lewis and William Clark visited Cape Girardeau as they traveled together on their historic Corps of Discovery expedition.  It was November 23, 1803 when the explorers and their crew stepped onto Missouri soil at Cape Girardeau.

     In his journal, Lewis described the colorful residents of the Cape Girardeau community, and his visit with the Commandant of the territory and community founder, Louis Lorimier. Lewis met Lorimier at a local horse race, where Lorimier was heartily involved in settling disputes over wagers.  Lewis wrote about the Shawnee wife of Louis Lorimier and their "handsome" daughter whom Lewis described as "the most descent looking female I have seen since I left the settlement in Kentucky."

     Lewis also described the physical characteristics of Lorimier himself, including the extraordinary length of Lorimier's hair.  Standing at approximately 5'8" in height this dark-skinned, dark-eyed and dark-haired
French born entrepreneur boasted a mane of hair that would be spoken of for generations to come.  According to Lewis' journals, Lorimier accounted that his dark, well-kept tresses were "long enough at one point that they touched the ground when he was standing erect."