Capes on the Middle Mississippi - Carte de la rivière de Mississippi, by Guillaume de L'Isle
Map by Lieut. Ross - 1772

The term cape has a different tradition of usage in the American Midwest along the Mississippi River. The middle Mississippi River Valley once formed part of the French Colonies of Quebec and Louisiana, also referred to as Upper Louisiana (Haute-Louisiane) or the Illinois Country (Pays des Illinois).[1] The Illinois Country also included the left bank of the Mississippi River in present-day Missouri.[2][3]

The French explorers and mapmakers used the word cape (or in French, "cap") to describe the bluffs and promontories along the Mississippi River. A "cap" could sit next to any body of water, not just the ocean.[4] Spanish authorities also used the term cabo (cape) for points on the Mississippi River. Along the Mississippi River between St. Louis and Cairo there are a number of capes of French origin.[5]

Capes on the Mississippi River and tributaries
Name Original French Name Translation State Location
Cape Cinque Hommes or

Cape St. Cosme [6]

 Cap des Cinque Hommes or

Cap St. Cosme

 cape of five men or

cape of St. Cosme

 MO 37°41′33.2″N 89°31′45.3″W / 37.692556°N 89.529250°W / 37.692556; -89.529250 [7]
Cape Creche Cap Crèche cape manger MO
Cape La Croix Cap de la Croix cape of the cross MO 37°14′53.51″N 89°28′05.76″W / 37.2481972°N 89.4682667°W / 37.2481972; -89.4682667 [8]
Cap à la Cruche Cap à la Cruche cape pitcher MO
Cape Fair[9] -- -- MO 36°43′48″N 93°30′37″W / 36.73000°N 93.51028°W / 36.73000; -93.51028 [10]
Cape Garlick [11] Cap à l'Ail cape garlic MO
Cape Girardeau[12] Cap de Girardot cape of Girardot MO 37°18′21″N 89°31′05″W / 37.30583°N 89.51806°W / 37.30583; -89.51806 [13]
Cap au Gris Cap au Gris [14] cape of gray MO 38°59′56″N 90°41′30″W / 38.99889°N 90.69167°W / 38.99889; -90.69167 [15]
Cape de la Grotte Cap de la Grotte cape of the caves MO
Cap aux Pistolets Cap aux Pistolets cape of the pistols MN
Cape La Roche Cap de la Roche cape of the rock MO
Cape de Roche Blanche [16] Cap de Roche blanche cape of the white rock MO
Cape Rock -- -- MO 37°19′43″N 89°29′45″W / 37.32861°N 89.49583°W / 37.32861; -89.49583 [17]
Cape St. Anthony [18] Cap de St. Antoine cape of Saint Anthony [19] IL 37°37′57″N 89°30′7″W / 37.63250°N 89.50194°W / 37.63250; -89.50194 [20]
Cape Swallow Cap l'hirondelle cape swallow MO
Pointed Cape Cap de la Pointe cape of the point MO

See also

References

  1. ↑ Moonis Raza (1990). Geographical Dictionary Of The World In The Early 20th Century With Pronouncing Gazetteer (in 2 Vos.). ISBN 9788172680114.
  2. ↑ Charles Léon Souvay; John Ernest Rothensteiner (1920). "Saint Louis Catholic Historical Review, Volumes 2-3". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  3. ↑ Nicolas de Finiels; Carl J. Ekberg (1989). An account of upper Louisiana. University of Missouri Press. ISBN 9780826207029. cap.
  4. ↑ Southeast Missouri Newspaper: Cape Girardeau isn't the only "cape" around here http://www.semissourian.com/blogs/pavementends/entry/24018/
  5. ↑ Louis Houck (1908). "A History of Missouri: From the Earliest Explorations and Settlements Until the Admission of the State Into the Union". R. R. Donnelley & Sons Company: 245. cape la croix missouri history -apartments. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  6. ↑ Sidney Breese; Melville Weston Fuller (1884). "The Early History of Illinois: From Its Discovery by the French, in 1673, Until Its Cession to Great Britain in 1763, Including the Narrative of Marquette's Discovery of the Mississippi". Myers: 143. cape cinque hommes st. cosme. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  7. ↑ Cartographic.info USA http://cartographic.info/usa/map.php?id=715379
  8. ↑ U.S. Government Printing Office (1909). "Congressional Serial Set". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  9. ↑ State Historical Society of Missouri: Place Names in Stone County http://shs.umsystem.edu/manuscripts/ramsay/ramsay_stone.html
  10. ↑ Cartographic.info USA http://cartographic.info/usa/map.php?id=749204
  11. ↑ Robert Brown (2005). "The countries of the world". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  12. ↑ Jerry M. Hay (2013). Mississippi River-Historic Sites & Interesting Places. ISBN 9781467562508.
  13. ↑ Cartographic.info USA http://cartographic.info/usa/map.php?id=731549
  14. ↑ Walter Williams (1913). "A History of Northeast Missouri, Volume 1". Lewis publishing Company: 513. fort cap au gris gris. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  15. ↑ Roadside Thoughts.com
  16. ↑ Cartography of the Illinois Country "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-08-05. Retrieved 2013-07-22.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  17. ↑ Cartographic.info USA http://cartographic.info/usa/map.php?id=715382
  18. ↑ John M. Lansden (1910). "A history of the city of Cairo, Illinois". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  19. ↑ Louise Phelps Kellogg (2009). Early Narratives of the Northwest 1634-1699. ISBN 9780806351872.
  20. ↑ Placekeeper.com: St. Antoine, Missouri http://www.placekeeper.com/Missouri/Cape_Antoine-736427.html
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