This Illinois Town Is Being Called The Worst Ghost Town In America

Every state has ghost towns, and while many find it fun to explore and look at the history of these towns the definition of a ghost town is a sad one.

A ghost town or alternatively deserted city or abandoned city is an abandoned village, town, or city, usually, one that contains substantial visible remaining buildings and infrastructure such as roads. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed or ended for any reason.

A recent video has gone viral as it claims to drive through "The Worst Ghost Town In America." That Town Just so happens to be in Illinois.

The Town

The video is a drive-through of Cairo Illinois. Located on the southern edge of Illinois where Illinois meets Missouri and Kentucky. Sadly over the years, this area has seen some struggles.

It is in Alexander county. This county used to have a population of twenty Thousand but has now dropped to five thousand according to the video. Cario itself has also seen a major decline in residents reportedly dropping to less than two thousand.

Quick History

The history of this area is strong with a great reference to the General and President Grant.

Cairo is the southernmost city in Illinois and the county seat of Alexander County. The city is located at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. Fort Defiance, a Civil War camp, was built at the confluence in 1862 by Union General Ulysses S. Grant to control strategic access to the river.

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The Video

A part of the description that caught my eye read,

So what happened here? Well, many factors are in play as to why Cairo is the way it is. It’s located along the confluence between the Mississippi and Ohio River, so this was a very important place for shipping and travel. The river ports here are where they would stop and load supplies. There was a lot of wealth here in the 1800s, as rich merchants, bankers, and shippers and businessmen moved here to take advantage of the prime location. There were once giant mansions here where millionaires lived. Believe it or don’t - at one time in the mid 1800s, people thought Cairo should be the capital of the USA because it was so centrally located and vital for transportation and business. There was a LOT of money here.

Do you think this is the worst ghost town in America, or are there others this video missed? Let us know.

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