Search results
Cairo (/ ˈkɛəroʊ / KAIR-oh, [4] sometimes / ˈkeɪroʊ / KAY-roh) [5] is the southernmost city in Illinois and the county seat of Alexander County. A river city, Cairo has the lowest elevation of any location in Illinois and is the only Illinois city to be surrounded by levees.
- The Establishment of Cairo, Illinois
- Cairo's Role in The Civil War
- Racial Tensions and Lynchings
- Cairo's Residents Resist The Civil Rights Movement
Before it became Cairo, Illinois, the area was a fort and tannery for some of the first French traders who arrived in 1702. However, their operation was cut short after Cherokee warriors slaughtered most of them. A century later, the area at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers played a role in the Lewis and Clark expedition, as the ex...
By the outbreak of the Civil War, Cairo's population was 2,200 — but that number was about to explode. The city's location along both a railroad line and a port was strategically important, and the Union capitalized on this. In 1861, General Ulysses S. Grant established Fort Defiance at the tip of Cairo's peninsula, which operated as an integral na...
Despite the post-war population exodus, Cairo's location and natural resources continued to attract breweries, mills, plants, and manufacturing businesses. Cairo also became an important shipping and steamboat hub. By 1890, the town was connected to the rest of the country by water and several railroads, and it acted as an important way station bet...
During the 20th century, Cairo's Black residents pushed for equal treatment. In 1946, Black teachers in Cairo filed a lawsuit to demand equal pay. They were defended by none other than future Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, then the chief counsel of the NAACP. Hattie Kendrick, one of the plaintiffs, later recalled the demeaning way the def...
Dec 9, 2020 · One of America’s most haunting abandoned cities is a once prosperous port town called Cairo, Illinois. A prolonged economic downturn and sustained racial unrest, reduced this city of 15,000 people to a nearly vacant town of a little over 2,000. Apartment building, Cairo, Illinois.
Cairo, city, seat (1860) of Alexander county, extreme southern Illinois, U.S. The city stands on a low-lying delta at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. Bridges over both rivers connect the city with Kentucky (east) and Missouri (west).
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Apr 9, 2024 · Nestled at the confluence of the mighty Mississippi and Ohio rivers, Cairo, Illinois, is a town that boasts a rich tapestry of American history, architectural marvels, and a unique geographical charm that seems almost forgotten in the hustle and bustle of modern life.
Aug 22, 2016 · Discover Abandoned Town of Cairo, Illinois in Cairo, Illinois: A once-booming Mississippi River town with a history of racial violence is now eerie and mostly abandoned.
May 31, 2024 · We toured Cairo, Illinois with The Cairo Historical Preservation Project. Often called a ghost town, we explored what happened to Cairo and met the people trying to save the city.
People also ask
Where is Cairo Illinois located?
What makes Cairo Illinois unique?
Is Cairo the new capital of the United States?
When did Cairo get its name?
