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The lowest point in the state of Illinois is located in Cairo at the Mississippi River. According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Cairo has a total area of 9.11 square miles (23.59 km 2 ), of which 6.99 square miles (18.10 km 2 ) (or 76.72%) is land and 2.12 square miles (5.49 km 2 ) (or 23.28%) is water.
- 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...
Apr 1, 2024 · Situated in a flood zone along the Mississippi River and the Ohio River, at the southernmost point in Illinois, the port town of Cairo (pronounced CARE-row) boomed along with the steamboat industry. When railroads crisscrossed the United States, some steamboat traffic diminished, but Cairo remained a vital point along numerous train ...
Dec 9, 2020 · Mostly, they imagine them to be in California or Nevada. However, the United States has countless ghost towns in virtually every state. One of America’s most haunting abandoned cities is a once prosperous port town called Cairo, Illinois.
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.
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.
Cairo, Illinois – Death by Racism. Welcome to Historic Downtown Cairo, Illinois, by Kathy Alexander. Located at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers at the southernmost tip of Illinois is the town of Cairo, pronounced “Care-O.”.
Book Hotels in Cairo, IL. Browse Reviews & Photos. Compare Great Options & You Can Save. Choose Hotels With Free Cancellation So If Your Plans Change, We Can Refund Your Money.
