Illinois’ Most Destroyed Town Is Nowhere Near Salvageable

If you're not an avid traveler, this abandoned town in Illinois will probably shock you with how rundown and deserted it is.  This place really exists!

If the internet didn't exist, I would've never known about this Illinois town.  It's crazy to think I live in a city with 150,000 people, hundreds of businesses, tons of entertainment, and diversity, but the there are people who live in towns with less than 2,000 people.  Everyone must know everyone else's business, right?

A loss of industry can really destroy, and completely wipe out, a town.

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With an economic decline, racial tensions, and lack of state funding, this can easily cause residents to move away, struggle to survive, and turn a once "booming" town into a "ghost town".

Illinois' Most Destroyed Town Is Nowhere Near Salvageable

This YouTuber takes us through the town of Cairo, Illinois.  Though this is just one opinion of the town, but most people in the comments go on to suggest how Cairo could potentially thrive in the future.

From more state funding, to greenhouses and farmers markets, to rebuilding it from the ground up, there are so many options that probably will never see light.  Sad to say, but most believe this town is too far gone.

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Cairo sits along the Mississippi River and the Ohio River, making it the Southernmost point in Illinois.  You would think this would be a destination for tourists considering it's the Southernmost point in Illinois.  That's always appealing to avid travelers and sightseers!

This town not only holds a prestigious position on the National Register of Historic Places but emerged as a dominant hub for railroad shipping and a bustling center for ferry and steamboat services. Its deep connection to the rivers provided unique access to waterways and water travel opportunities.

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According to Travel, there are a few different reasons Cairo became abandoned.

"Over time, Cairo's decline became evident, with its once vibrant downtown area now a haunting sight of dilapidated buildings and boarded-up windows. As the town's economic desperation grew, coupled with a history of racial tension and periodic flooding, its fate was sealed."

At one point in 2011, the Mississippi River reached a breaking point and nearly 15 feet of water flooded the town of Cairo.  Businesses, homes, and structures couldn't withstand the water damage and literally went underwater.

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There are so many Illinois towns with incredible backstories and histories like Galena, Quincy, Danville, and Zion, but honestly no story is more interesting to learn about than Cairo, Illinois.

It was even named one of America's 'Best Creepy Ghost Towns' to make this town even more interesting.

Related: 11 Most Overlooked Towns In Illinois You Should See

Here's the video where Nick Johnson takes you through a journey of the ghost town we call Cairo, Illinois.