National Register of Historic Places

Cairo Historic District

Cairo, Alexander County, Illinois
Listed
January 26, 1979
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
79000815

About this property

The Cairo Historic District is a historic district encompassing a large section of Cairo, Illinois. The district is roughly bounded by Park, 33rd, Sycamore, 21st, Cedar, and 4th Streets and the Ohio River; it includes most areas of Cairo developed by 1890, save for two sections which are almost entirely renovated or deteriorated. The district includes roughly 980 buildings, including both commercial and residential areas. Cairo served as a transportation and trade center in the 1800s due to its location at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers and its status as the southern terminus of the Illinois Central Railroad. However, the city suffered severe population decline and urban decay in the 20th century, and even by the 1970s, parts of the district were described as "beginning to assume the appearance of a ghost town". The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places on January 26, 1979.

Location

Cairo, Alexander County, Illinois
37.00783, -89.17799

Categories

MILITARYTRANSPORTATIONEXPLORATION/SETTLEMENTPOLITICS/GOVERNMENTARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Everything a full report reveals about Cairo Historic District

This page lists Cairo Historic District. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Magnolia Manor
Industrial
0.2 mi
Old Customhouse
Industrial
0.5 mi
Mound City Civil War Naval Hospital
Civil War
5.4 mi
Mound City National Cemetery
Pre Contact
5.7 mi
Olmstead Depot
Industrial
12.9 mi

Nearby Battles

Camp Defiance — Cairo Illinois Defense
1861Civil War
0.2 mi

Questions about this property

When was Cairo Historic District listed on the National Register?

Cairo Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 26, 1979.

What type of historic resource is Cairo Historic District?

Cairo Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Cairo Historic District?

The period of significance for Cairo Historic District is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Cairo Historic District?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Cairo Historic District will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Alexander County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Alexander County.

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Conflict records

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Illinois history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Illinoishistory ›

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