Cairo, Illinois, a Ghost Town

Welcome to Historic Cairo. That is what the sign is trying to say. Located at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, this town was founded in 1837. It sits at the very southern tip of the state of Illinois. Located at the extreme southern tip is Civil War fort, Fort Defiance(which was flooded out the day we visited). But due to civil and social problems, and probably numerous floods, the population has dwindled to next to nothing. And although most of the town is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it is mostly abandoned and falling apart.