Update: A renovation of the house began in 2019, but it seems to have stopped at some point after that; as of June of 2024 it sits abandoned. Representing the burst in commercial success after the conclusion of the Civil War, the stunning 1865 Second Empire mansion was built for Captain William Parker Halliday, and…
Tag: Cairo
Working Light Bulb, Cairo, Illinois
Update: The bulb was broken when revisited in June of 2024 (sixth photo). As we walked around downtown Cairo at noon, we came upon this damaged lamp post. At first thinking the sun was reflecting off the bulb, we soon realized, much to our amazement, that the light bulb was in fact still working. A symbol…
Commercial Avenue and Its Environs, Cairo, Illinois
Update: Many of the buildings below are now gone as of June 2024. Commercial Avenue is really where Cairo’s history turns dark and tragic. The desolation that dominates the lower east side of the peninsula shows in the photo above. Though several blocks away, I could capture a clear shot of the remaining buildings on…
The A. B. Safford Memorial Library and U.S. Customs House, Cairo, Illinois
Described by locals as being “Queen Anne,” I would say that the A.B. Safford Library is more an eclectic mix of various styles,with strong Romanesque Revival elements. Regardless, it is a stunning building, whose excellent condition clashes with much of the desolation around it. Inside the 1884 structure is a very nice, and surprisingly high…
Historic Churches, Cairo, Illinois
From the Roman Catholic church above, to more humble buildings such as the abandoned, wood frame church below, the wealth and population is exhibited in Cairo’s churches. Update: The church below seems to be abandoned now.
Cairo’s Civil Engineering Marvels
Update: I revisited these bridges in June of 2024. The bridge to Missouri was closed for repairs at the time. Cairo sits at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, landlocked by giant levees that keep back the two mighty bodies of water. At the southern end of the peninsula upon which the city…
Further South than Richmond, Virginia: Cairo, Illinois
I finally made it to Cairo, Illinois with my father last week. I have to admit, while I was prepared to see what many of my friends have already been documenting for years, I was struck how much more there was to this infamous town than just Commercial Avenue (seen above), which is the most…
Cairo, Illinois Next Week
I traveled to southern Illinois to visit the town of Cairo, a city in many ways that could have been so much more, but was destroyed by its flaws.