Book covers life, death of Cape founder Pierre-Louis de Lorimier

Fourty years ago, Robert Kuck sifted through an old trading post in Ohio with a metal detector. After finding several artifacts, Kuck decided he wanted to know more about the man who could've put them there.

Kuck put his findings into a book published this year titled "Blood and Honor: The Life and Times of Fur Trader Pierre-Louis de Lorimier."

The book follows the life of Lorimier from his birth in Quebec, Canada, to his death in Cape Girardeau in 1812.

Lorimier first came to what is now Cape Girardeau in 1793 when it was little more than a small trading post. He, along with trader Jean Girardot, are credited with founding the city.

Kuck, an Ohio native who lives in Florida, began researching Lorimier's life three years ago after his retirement as a real estate developer. He said he tried to visit as many places where Lorimier lived as possible.

His research led him to Quebec, Detroit, Indiana, Ohio, Cape Girardeau and Jackson. He traveled to Oklahoma, where Lorimier's life entwined closely with the Shawnee tribe.

"Lorimier was a remarkable person to navigate," Kuck said. "My goal has been to try and understand the things that motivated him to act, things about his personality and values that would give a picture of who the man was."

Lorimier's "colorful life" included raids against Kentucky settlements, participation in the capture of Daniel Boone and marriage to the daughter of Antoine de Bougainville (the first frenchman to circumnavigate the globe).

Kuck wrote "Blood and Honor" as a historical fiction novel, staying as close to the known facts of Lorimier's life as possible.

Kuck said the book is not available at any local bookstores, but a paperback version is available on Amazon.