Cairo, IL

About Cairo

• • Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Robert Penn Warren was born in Guthrie, near Cairo.
• • Some argue the culinary delicacy, the horseshoe sandwich, originated near Cairo.
• • Strategic location at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers drove its growth.
• • It was once predicted to rival Chicago in size and importance.
• • The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 devastated the city and its economy.
• • Named in 1818 after the Egyptian city; incorporated in 1837.
• • Population hovers around 2,000, a steep decline from its peak.
• • Elevation is 315 feet, making it vulnerable to river flooding.
• • Agriculture and related services are the primary sources of employment.
• • There's a feeling of faded grandeur and lingering resilience.
• • The St. Louis Cardinals are the closest MLB team, winning the World Series in 2011.
• • Cairo High School won the Illinois state basketball championship in 1972.

Songs About Cairo