Towns and Nature: Cairo, IL: IC Depot and River Wall

We can still see where the roundhouse was, so the depot must have been a few more blocks downriver. It looks like Ohio Street had tracks on it and the river wall was closer to the river.

Paul Turner posted
Very hard to find image of the Illinois Central passenger station on Ohio in Cairo, also known as Union Depot. It was replaced by a new depot at North Cairo in 1936, negating the time-consuming move in and out of Cairo proper. From an 87 -year old negative I recently had printed. GM&O built their own Art-Deco style passenger station at North Cairo, and the station pictured here was unfortunately razed.
The famed Halliday Hotel adjacent to the south.

David Cantrell posted
Cairo, IC Terminal

It looks like Cairo was similar to today's Miami, FL, and the cruise industry. Except the steamboat ride was probably practical transportation rather than a joyride.

Lisa Ruble posted
Levee at Cairo, early 1900s

Derby Gisclair posted

Cairo Waterfront

Waterfront scene of the levee on the Ohio River at Cairo, Illinois in 1860 showing wharf boats, including the N.W. Graham and Co. and the Williamson, Haynes and Co. In the foreground, the Illinois Central Chicago and Cairo train at the station just to the right of a Blacksmith Shop.

DaVe Durham shared

Andy Zukowski posted
Illinois Central Railroad Depot in Cairo, Illinois. 1971

Randall James: Back when Cairo was still a stop for Amtrak.

[This depot was probably along the approach to the bridge rather than down by the river.]

Richard Fiedler shared

Andy Zukowski posted
Illinois Central Railroad Depot in Cairo, Illinois 1974

Richard Fiedler shared

David Cantrell posted
Cairo IC Maintenance Yard

Dave Cantrell posted
Illinois Central, Shipping and Levee on the Ohio River at Junction of the Mississippi, Cairo Illinois, 1917. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2018647693/.

PICRYL

It took me a while to realize that the river wall is what those guys are sitting on. It is a lot taller today. You can see that it is about as tall as a caboose.

20161126 6766

That is my van in the background. The town is really desolate. There is no problem finding a parking spot or fighting traffic.

The CN/IC embankment for their Ohio River Bridge is part of the levee system.

After US-51 goes through the arched overpass...

...you go under the flood gate. So how do people get in and out of town during a flood? Do they use Washington Avenue up to Kessler Road?

(Facebooked)

David Cantrell posted

After excessive levee overflows at Cairo, IL in 1912 and 1913, a "subway" was constructed that allowed cars to pass under the railroad and enabled gates to be installed when flood waters threatened the city.

-- Illinois Central Magazine

David Cantrell posted
[There are several informative comments in this open group.]

Doug Rogers posted three images with the comment: "Cairo Illinois."