Born on the Mississippi River more than 200 years ago, Cape Girardeau, Missouri, has evolved from a tiny French trading post to a frontier settlement governed by a Spanish commandant to a thriving, culturally-rich community of some 40,000 residents on the world's only inland cape. Although the actual cape was destroyed in the 1800s to make way for the railroads, this memorial "Cape Rock" sits atop the bluff of Girardot's trading post. Today, Cape Girardeau is a regional hub for education, commerce, and medical care. Although the city's population is around 37,000 people, it is estimated that as many as 90,000 come to Cape Girardeau daily to work, shop, go to school, or visit the many doctors' offices or two hospitals. In addition, the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge is being constructed across the Mississippi River that will carry 26,000 cars in and out of Cape Girardeau every day. Rich in the heritage of the river region and its people, the story of Cape Girardeau continues to add exciting new chapters.