The Dangerous Situation in Cairo, Illinois

Cairo, Illinois, located at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers, has a rich and complex history. Founded in 1818, Cairo was envisioned as a thriving river port due to its strategic location. The city played a crucial role during the Civil War, serving as a key supply and troop transport hub for the Union Army, with General Ulysses S. Grant establishing a command post there. However, despite its early promise, Cairo's prosperity declined in the 20th century, plagued by economic hardships, racial tensions, and population decline. By the late 1900s, the once-bustling city had become a symbol of urban decay, but its historical significance as a pivotal site in American history remains.

IT’S HISTORY - Weekly Tales of American Urban Decay as presented by your host Ryan Socash.

» CONTACT

» DISCLAIMER

» CREDIT
Scriptwriter - Sebastián Ripoll
Editor - Karolina Szwata,
Host - Ryan Socash
Music/Sound Design: Dave Daddario

» NOTICE
Some images may be used for illustrative purposes only - always reflecting the accurate time frame and content. Events of factual error / mispronounced word/spelling mistakes - retractions will be published in this section.

[dblat]

They pronounce it "Kay'-row". Most pronunciations are bowdlerized from their original forms.

[RayTheMickey]

It is as far south in Illinois as you can get. That is not the "heart of Illinois".

[herschelmayo]

A tornado just ripped through Cairo and did $12 worth of damage.

[TheAutoexecbat]

The whole things starts with saying "in the heart of Illinois". Cairo is the most southern town in Illinois

[quiksilvermanblue]

As someone who has traveled through Cairo several times. I know from personal experience that the whole area is essentially a ghost town. I have to give the people who stayed credit.... There is very little in actual service available to its citizens.

[bomilam]

As a truck driver, I've driven through Cairo multiple times and fell in love with it. Kentucky, Illinois, and Missouri in just a few miles. Amazing location

[mikeginger]

Trucker here. Up the road there’s a saw mill where I picked up. As I was going down the main road onto the bridge that goes into Kentucky, I saw that “gem” sign, and old brick buildings collapsed. It truly was the most heart breaking town I’ve ever seen; and I’ve been 46 states…

[sammehlberg]

Was passing through when a tornado happened, instead of stopping in Cairo I decided to risk the tornado

[mchervino]

Despite its look and reputation, Cairo is a smorgasbord of history and interest. I’ve walked its streets alone many time and talked with several of its residents. If you’re a history buff, it vibrates with that kind of energy.

[freetolook]

It boggles my mind why people want to live in a floodplain, get flooded and then complain about it like it's a big surprise.

[bingham]

"In the heart of Illinois". Pronouncing Cairo like the city in Egypt. You sure didn't do much research in putting this together. It's located at the southern tip of Illinois.

[gordonallen]

The names change, the story remains the same. The story of Cairo, IL is the story of East St. Louis, IL, Gary, IN, Flint MI, Chester, PA, East Cleveland, & Youngstown, OH, and Camden & Newark, NJ . The demise of domestic manufacturing, and the rise of globalization sealed the fate of these cities, as well as many rural communities in America. For over 40 years, the country has been rotting from the inside out. America as a whole is just now beginning to

[samuelskillern]

I'm trying not to defend the city, but Kay-ro still has about 1, 700 residents. There's still a high school (to my knowledge), a community college satellite campus, a co-op market, and new housing. Not just yet a ghost town, but definitely a city that has seen better days.

[zoezulma]

The problem with Cairo stems from its location at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. The rivers flood every spring and the city must be periodically evacuated as it was in 2011. Being of low elevation and next to rivers the climate there is very humid and it is understandable malaria was common there with so much water around. Cairo would not be my first choice for a town to live in.

[purplesprigs]

"Deep in the heartland of the United States sits Key West, Florida."

[Mr_Chris]

I've drove through here several times and the sad part is that you can still see some buildings that are architectural wonders. The even more sad part is the rest of town, which just needs to be leveled. It's nowhere near anything, no longer has a hospital and last I looked, didn't even have a grocery store. It's a dangerous heap that Illinois wishes didn't exist.

[mikehughes]

I grew up in the Chicago area, and I had always heard that Cairo was a dangerous, gang infested, crime ridden place and you were talking your life in your hands if you went there. And maybe it was like that in the 80's, but now it just looked empty and sad.

[timothysworld]

In Adventures of Huckleberry Finn the plan was to get Jim to Cairo so he would be a freeman.

[nancyadams]

We used to drive through Cairo on the way to St. Louis back in the 1960s. I remember a great family style restaurant there. The town was in decline then.

[JohnGeorgeBauerBuis]

Southern Illinois was where the famous engineman John Luther ‘Casey’ Jones spent much of his youth and a considerable part of his career.