| Fort Defiance, known as Camp Defiance during the American Civil War, is a former military fortification located at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers near Cairo in Alexander County, Illinois. The strategic significance of the site has been known since prehistoric times with archaeological evidence of warfare dating to the Mississippian era. It is the southernmost point in the state of Illinois. Cairo was founded in 1837 by the Cairo City and Canal Company, after an earlier effort (1818) had failed, and incorporated as a city in 1858. For fifteen years the town grew slowly, but the sale of lots, which commenced in 1853, and the completion of the Illinois Central Railroad attracted settlers, with the result that by 1860 the population exceeded 2,000. It was an important steamboat port in the nineteenth century; Cairo even had its own Customs House, which has since been converted into a museum. This important structure was designed by Alfred B Mullet, the U.S. Supervising Architect during Reconstruction, and is one of only seven of his structures remaining. During the American Civil War Cairo was of great strategic importance and for several months both Grant and Foote had headquarters there. The town has a number of fine examples of prosperous nineteenth-century and early twentieth-century architecture, included Magnolia Manor and Riverlore Mansion. Much of the city, even in some areas of decay, is listed on the Nation Register of Historic Places. The population of Cairo has declined from a 1920 high of 15,203 to 3,632 in 2000. There is a movement to stop this slow abandonment, and restore Cairo's architectural gems, develop tourism focusing on its rich history and bringing new opportunities back to the community. Reference |  |