So sad to see the deteriorating condition of the homes in that community. I appreciated the way you shared some of the history/images of the town with such respect. It's awful that any attempts to revive the town have been unsuccessful. Safe travels🌸
A well thought out video, conveying the despair and sadness of how humans treat each other ..... which ultimately spilled out into the slow decay of the Township. I found your video very moving, and feel that you honoured the emotions of the time with your respectful, informative words. Thank you for this video ..... you deserve recognition for your work.
Ohhh Jimmy.. u need to enter this remarkable vidio for historic urban decay.. beautiful work!!! Your voice .. the music .. the filming ... award winning!!!!!
Nature takes back its land. It’s cool seeing the tree growing out of the building and the vines taking over the bus and houses. The humans couldn’t act civil and get along and make the town keep thriving, so nature takes over. That was a great video, Jimmy! Thanks!
Old towns like these are lost because there's no need for them anymore. It had its life and and times change. Like when mines and oil run out there's no reason for people to live and work in those type of towns anymore.
Hi guys. I am from a small city called Anniston Alabama. There are so many similarities between your city of Cairo and Anniston. Lovely people, love for your family and community and many forgotten buildings and homes that deserve more TLC but show character. I just ran across some of your videos on this town and felt at home. Thanks for letting me share😊
Thanks for the tour Jimmy. I have seen a lot of abandoned towns, a lot of poverty, crime and drugs run towns. Cairo is definately Bad, I was at the " PINE RIDGE " Indian Reservation and I thought it was the worst in the U.S. also bad areas within the Appalachian. It's a shame that most powerful government officials that keep always ignoring this big problem. Anyways buddy thanks for the time that you invested in the making of this video.
The architectural bones of this town are incredible. It's amazing how the unrest and hatred ruined this place. You hit just the right notes with your narration, conveying the devastation and haunting. I enjoyed this video, very poignant. Thank you,.
Great video Jimmy, wow sad to see a community decline like that! It reminds me of the video I saw on Youngstown Ohio! Stay safe and get out before nightfall!
In depth and well presented. You earned another subscriber. We have a 1910 Craftsman style home here in GA. I am reminded every time I see video of old and crumbling structures how important and vital to their survival it is to be loved in and cared for. Thank you.
Sad but you illustrate history in a compelling way. You are a natural storyteller and you do an awesome job presenting stories that need to be told in an honest non sugar coated way. 👍 been to Cairo and it's spooky. A forgotten town from a turbulent past.
Around 2003, I was traveling south on I57 to Memphis. Going almost straight south from WI, I had two choices, swing through St Louis, or dodge a lot of the toll roads and swoop around the middle of WI and Illinois and head in a straight line on I57. The internet map said time wise was close, but the way through Illinois was like 40 miles less, and frankly all I57 was used for was big rigs. I was 23. I had almost never been out of my circle of 3 counties, much less WI. Got down to the tip of Illinois. Had a quarter tank of gas, didn't know when the next town would be after I crossed the river so took the exit to Cairo. Remember thinking "huh. Like Egypt maybe!" I immediatly knew I had made a mistake, but the station was right off the highway. A run down busted up asphalt place with rusty pumps and a tiny shack of a "store". I went in, gave the guy a 20, and went to put enough gas in to escape. Even then, the buildings in the area were broken down(actually down, like on the ground) with partly demolished areas, another station across the street the whole island/canopy thing was laying on it's side and the store was half gone. The roads were cracked and looked to be basically ignored for maybe 20+ years. I got the heck out of there. On my way back up north later, and down south and back north again a few months later, I knew better. I think there was another town, maybe it was Marion or something like that, a little ways up the road from Cairo. A much nicer place, that.
The sad thing is that well within living memory, Cairo IL was a thriving small town with many viable businesses and some serious prosperity in some places. It was wiped out by the upheavals of the 60s and 70s, it's actually remarkably like a mini-version of what happened to Detroit, right down to the nasty racial politics.
Hi Jim What a incredible and sad story .. it sure makes one wonder.. I have seen small towns go down the tubes but not place of this size.. As always u did a fabulous job with your video.. your one of the best on here if not the best.. thanks , always, Jan🌻
Jimmy, you've found your calling doing Documentaries. Your fact telling/storytelling is on par with Media Standards, and your delivery is really good. I appreciate the video, it depicts the unvarnished truth of our nation in disrepair. You educate through your journey, well done !!! Always, Syn Silver.
What a sad place! So many homeless folks in this country, yet a whole town is left to decay... thanks for sharing, Jimmy - your videos are always interesting!
Jimmy you certainly did an amazing job sharing the history of this once booming town. You shared it with respect to the people who once lived here. It is so sad that is was just left to fall apart. This is another place to will go on our list of places to go see and learn about the people who lived there.
I am planning a civil rights road trip and have not come across Cairo. You know every country has a shameful part of their history but when it is woven into the fabric of the country I was born in, the country your children live in the response is raw. So many children have suffered terribly because of racial predjudice. Even a city like Cairo shows visibly the rot racist people leave behind. Growing up in California I viewed bigotry as part of our history. Now, living in the south east, I am shocked at how division is held on to and thought of as normal. Kindness, simple kindness to all those you meet will go a long way. Everyone deserves to be treated with kindness. Thank you Jimmy for a meaningful reel of Americana.
We've been watching a couple of young people who call themselves "urban explorers"..there are several abandoned places in this country...it's shocking, really third world. Very interesting video Jimmy, thanks. :)
Hi Jimmy, unbelievable how this place just went south as the old saying goes. I had Family there who work on the railroad. 1890- through to the 1915. Then the 1st WWar came along. And many came home to Canada and left in the Army and just never came home. It was good to see as I drove though in he early to mid Eighties. Thanks for the views and the sharing. ByeBye
You may have an award winning documentary there, Jimmy. Did you do a lot of videography before the RV stuff? You have such a good eye and the background music is always a perfect fit for subject. Safe travels.
the physical manifestation of hate, greed and apathy. Coming to a town near year if we all don't stop what's currently going on in this country and start a dialogue of what we want this country to stand for.
Nicely done Jimmy! I appreciate the time and effort you put into producing your videos. Thank you! I live in Southeast Missouri and am very familiar with Cairo and it's history. There is still a stigma attached to this town. It is so sad to see what was once a thriving community slowly decay away. Unfortunately it is one of many.
Excellent documentary! Of coarse, your voice brings it all together. I love your perspectives on life. You are a very "soulful" human. Thank you Jimmy.
Wow! What a great little Documentary on the history of this town. The destruction of racism goes so much farther than the people it attempts to destroy. Thank you for exposing this to the light Jimmy. You have a talent for doing this while allowing folks to make their own judgements.
That is a sad story because there are homeless people all over the world.that need places to live, young Mother's that needs a place to call home they should try and see how to go about getting someone to help them open a clean family oriented for people that are down on there luck!! Hugs for you jimmy🤗💛💟💛🤗
Jane Diaz,I totally agree with you, we see homeless camps out there and then we see abandoned communities!? And automatically want to put them together! But that's only part of the equation They will all need jobs, groceries, ect...
Great video and very interesting. It is very sad to see historic buildings and homes decaying like this. Reminds us there is still boom and bust cycles in our country, just slower than the boom towns that became ghost towns in the old west.
Hey Jimmy I think this is one of your best films!!! The narration and the way you put the scenes together and the music good job man!!! Yeah I think you're on to something with the documentary type videos!!!! Way cool!!! Okay brother later!!! Cool Cove Don!!!
WOW! Thank you for this video. A piece of forgotten history. I’m sure others have suggested. But your voice is so smooth and easy to listen to. You need a job reading for electronic books or ?? One would think you could do it from your nomad abode too.
Whoa, really kinda sad. Okay, really sad. It's like so many places all over the country that are just falling into ruin. Places once filled with life, now being taken back by nature. Great video Jimmy, thanks for sharing Cairo with us!
An excellent video and thank you for telling the story. such tragedy when hate takes over a town when, if they had stood together it really had everything on its doorstep to make a beautiful come back.
I have just now watched this video. I live about 100 miles to the north of Cairo along I57 and haven't been through the actual town of Cairo in decades since the interstate takes you to the west of the town over into Missouri. I occasionally see reports on the news of some happening in the town, but I never realized it had deteriorated to this point..how sad.
Cairo is a perfect example of what hatred and bigotry can do. We had better come together as “ one nation under God “! Those Nazi signs look too familiar and those white supremacists should watch this video to see what the results of hatred are. Thanks for this important film! The school children should watch this! We all must come together as one human race and know that all are created equally by God. Thanks for sharing your wonderful talent!
Cairo was a low skill low education town that has been dying for a century. If the blacks and whites had held hands and sang songs it was still an obsolete town. Things got nastier when low wage jobs were tough to find and the white business owners refused to hire blacks - instead hired their cousins. Then, the new Interstate highway bypassed the town and travelers no longer stopped and did what little business they once had. In the so called boom years Cairo citizens never funded a local college as forward looking towns do. There were more problems here than racial tension.
It's really depressing and sad, considering that it mirrors exactly what's happening a couple hundred miles up the river in East St. Louis, once an economic hub but now only about a fifth of the population it had at its peak.
I live about 2 hours away from Cairo. Pass through there a lot since I was a kid on way to visit family in Kentucky I'm 35 now and have watched from year to year how the town has slowly deteriorated. I still love the giant flood gate. Also slow down lots of speed traps hey they need some kind of revenue o guess
I drove to Kentucky twice, I live in Missouri and took IL3 to pass Cairo. This town is like a ghost town. It’s pretty cool, but creepy. Main ST is 30 mph so it’s like a theme park ride.
My Grandpa was born in Cairo. I'm 30 now and he died when I was around 12. He always told us the racial issues and the lack of product being transported on the river was the main reason the town fell apart for sure. Crime started rising and all the white people left to escape the area.
What it says for America is sad. I also live in a sad little town with a declining population, even though there are over three million people within a 40 minute drive from here. And yes it's decline began with the racial tensions after the Civil War and on through the 60s. Now there are no jobs that pay a living wage unless you make one. Fortunately there is grant money to help. That has the potential for corruption... Thank you for such a wonderful presentation, and I look forward to your next video. They are all so interesting!
@@wanderingjimmy1957 The racial tensions in Cairo were from poor whites trying to hold on to a declining economy. White business owners wouldn't hire blacks for many of the remaining low wage jobs. The county government jobs were set aside for whites only. The educated whites were leaving town. The hospital closed and most of those with skills left or retired.
I'm glad I found this video. I had no idea this place existed. I have a dream of building a community that is not connected with the grid. Maybe this is a good place to start one. 🤔
Cairo and the abandoned houses reminds me of NOLA and the area devastated by Katrina. I drove to the end of the road, past all the abandoned houses with big red X's on them. A few were being repaired with help from Volunteers. I t was so sad and spooky walking around some of the little houses closest to the water after watching the coverage & rescues 24/7 on TV. Wish I could have helped more, but had a stroke survivor with me.
I love NOLA! I was there just before Katrina and a year after it and it was so sad. The wreckage and horrible conditions people were trying to survive in. ☹️
Wow Jimmy that was great! I grew up in SW Indiana in the small city of Vincennes. I thought Vincennes had problems but nothing in comparison to Cairo. The whole region is economically depressed and you seem to have stumbled on to the epicenter. Seems like you are enjoying the west, it is the place to be. I live in the middle of nowhere now in Garden City, KS but it is a short drive to Colorado and New Mexico. If my health improves maybe Susan and I will see you out there some where on the road. If you can't tell, watching your older videos. Take care buddy.
I was one of the photographers for the United Front along with Jim Brown from 1970-72. A couple of my photos are in this report. The white hats targeted me and almost killed me with a shot from the top of the police station. See "Let My People Go, Cairo" S.I.U. Press, 1996.
I'm from that area. As teenagers we would go to Cairo to buy beer. Bullet holes riddled some of the buildings. The Gem theatre I've been to. I believe there was a nightclub called King Tuts in the same area.
I think there are many places like this in the U.S. especially along the rivers...growing up I always heard people call it Kay-row, Illinois (S) not sure though 👍🏻
Grew up in Southeast Missouri. I can still remember when Cairo was at least a bit thriving. Hadn't been in many years so decided to drive through a few years ago. On the way back to STL took the 62 bridge, through Cairo and up to Route 3. Quite depressing how much it had deteriorated.
We live in the Cape Girardeau area and my husband worked for Illinois Central Railroad in Cairo! I was holding my breath when you were there! It can be very dangerous but even saying that we still go to Cairo to get a barbecue at Shemwells! Lol! The best barbecue around!
wandering jimmy ...and it won’t further damage your back. Seriously, you need to check into doing voice overs, etc. Check on getting an agent to help you find jobs. Once established, you can go out in your own.
I live a couple of hours away from Cairo. I remember going there as a child with family and it being full of business. Would take trips there in high school to see the confluences of the rivers. Was a beautiful town. Sad it had a lot of racism in it.
Mark Twain talked about that town in his book Life on the Mississippi. I hadn't heard about it for years until one spring the Army CoE was trying to decide whether or not to divert the river to save the town from flooding.
FR3 At Last another racist trying to push shit you did on someone else. Racism was partly responsible for this. Now you want to compare it to Detroit. You just have to cross the river into Missouri or just go up State in Illinois to se the same shit. But you picked Detroit. (St. Louis, East St. Louis)
My dad grew up in Cairo , he moved to Detroit after WW2 to find employment. Your showing your ignorance comparing the two as the same. I am am certain you have no clue about Detroit besides the garbage you hear.
Frist Name Last Name one of the things that started the decline in this city was the the racism that existed in its supposed heyday. And your reaching all the way to Detroit to compare it to. You have cities within two or three hours( St. Louis, E. St. Louis, Peoria) that you could do the same. But like all racist do they pick Detroit not knowing the renaissance taking place there. The city is coming back but its gonna take time just like it took time for it to get were it was. It just saddens me to see how racist uses that city as an example of the worst part of America. Start looking at yourselves and stop playing the blame game!!!!
When I looked at Cairo on google maps just now, the very first street view I zoomed in was right at that caboose and break in the levee. What a shame that the city has fallen into such condition. So many vacant lots and boarded-up/broken-down buildings.
Cairo was a bottleneck for hwy 62 and hwy 51. When Interstate 57 bypassed it in the 1970's, the businesses suffered and closed, much like Route 66. The Gem was a video rental store in the late 1980's. Most of the buildings have been for sale for 30 years, but no takers, and have been torn down in the last 5-10 years.
I was born and raised across the river from Cairo. It is pronounced Care-oh. It is very sad. My Dad taught school at Cairo high school during some of the racial problems and I remember it all happening .
I wonder, are there still some people living in their mansions? And if they are, how are they getting their utilities and where are they buying their groceries? Is the Bigfoot sightings true? Excellent narratoring and choice of music in making this video sound like a documentary! Great job Jimmy.
The couple "manors" i showed are owned by the city, I think, and you can take tours. There were other nice large houses in that part of town that had people living in them but still many empty and crumbling homes around them.There were a couple convenient stores, a liquor store and a couple small restaurants. I think they must cross the river to Kentucky to find a real grocery store. I know nothing about bigfoot! 😆 Thanks Rose!!
Very good video. My grandparents are from Cairo and got married in the church that still stands. My father was born in the hospital there. What happened in Cairo was very sad!! Race riots and hate crimes ruined the city. It had beautiful big historical mansions and brick streets. I visited about 5 years ago and every time we drive through it gets worse. I wish someone would get the city up and running again. It’s a beautiful place on the river.
I would love to revive the town, and bring back the glory days for Cairo, IL. But fact is the Town is so far gone, and destroyed. It would cost a lot, and needs tons of resources, which wouldn't be cost effective for Illinois, or The United States as a whole. What remains Cario would have to partition the Illinois's Congress to grant them State funding, or they can try, and attract Companies like Tech, Cars, and eta. But seeing the video, and what the could be the current state of the Town. It's highly unlikely, that the Illinois's State Congress would approve of any funding, and any company wouldn't want to take a chance, in a area they consider to be "High risk". That's mainly way the Citys on the Coasts do well, and Citys/Towns inland are struggling to stay alive. It's a sad thing to happen to such a Historically beautiful Town. That's why people should pay attention to there local politicians, and Politics as a whole. So that we don't repeat Cario's story. Note: I never been to Cario. But I hope Cario does come back to promenades.
Wonderful video, unfortunately this is happening for various reasons all over the country. Can you give us an update on how your back is doing? Best wishes.
So well put together. what sad story and commentary on our nation.
Thanks Kim!
So sad to see the deteriorating condition of the homes in that community. I appreciated the way you shared some of the history/images of the town with such respect. It's awful that any attempts to revive the town have been unsuccessful. Safe travels🌸
Thanks Mo!!
Oh so sad!! So many beautiful homes and businesses...gone!! Thank you Jimmy!! This video is a work of art!!👍🏼🌵✌🏼
Thanks Carol!♥︎
A well thought out video, conveying the despair and sadness of how humans treat each other ..... which ultimately spilled out into the slow decay of the Township. I found your video very moving, and feel that you honoured the emotions of the time with your respectful, informative words. Thank you for this video ..... you deserve recognition for your work.
Thank you so much!!
Ohhh Jimmy.. u need to enter this remarkable vidio for historic urban decay.. beautiful work!!! Your voice .. the music .. the filming ... award winning!!!!!
Janne King I very much agree!
I agree too!
Thank you Janne!!
Glad you don't give awards
Cairo was never very urban
Nature takes back its land. It’s cool seeing the tree growing out of the building and the vines taking over the bus and houses. The humans couldn’t act civil and get along and make the town keep thriving, so nature takes over. That was a great video, Jimmy! Thanks!
So true! Thanks Jaunese!
Even without the racial violence the economic decline was the demise. College graduation rate is very low - very difficult to attract business.
Old towns like these are lost because there's no need for them anymore. It had its life and and times change. Like when mines and oil run out there's no reason for people to live and work in those type of towns anymore.
Hi guys. I am from a small city called Anniston Alabama. There are so many similarities between your city of Cairo and Anniston. Lovely people, love for your family and community and many forgotten buildings and homes that deserve more TLC but show character. I just ran across some of your videos on this town and felt at home. Thanks for letting me share😊
Thanks for the tour Jimmy. I have seen a lot of abandoned towns, a lot of poverty, crime and drugs run towns. Cairo is definately Bad, I was at the " PINE RIDGE " Indian Reservation and I thought it was the worst in the U.S. also bad areas within the Appalachian. It's a shame that most powerful government officials that keep always ignoring this big problem. Anyways buddy thanks for the time that you invested in the making of this video.
Oh my, that is so sad! You did an outstanding job of showing what has become of Cairo. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Carol!
You have found your calling, true talent! Run with it 😘💕💕
Thanks Cheri!♥︎
funny how the guy leaves out the boycotts during the civil rights movement... Way to do a shit job
The architectural bones of this town are incredible. It's amazing how the unrest and hatred ruined this place. You hit just the right notes with your narration, conveying the devastation and haunting. I enjoyed this video, very poignant. Thank you,.
Thank you Grammathia!!
Great video Jimmy, wow sad to see a community decline like that! It reminds me of the video I saw on Youngstown Ohio! Stay safe and get out before nightfall!
Thanks Robin! Sadly, there are more of these towns than we release.
In depth and well presented. You earned another subscriber. We have a 1910 Craftsman style home here in GA. I am reminded every time I see video of old and crumbling structures how important and vital to their survival it is to be loved in and cared for. Thank you.
Awesome job of explaining the brief history of Cairo. Cheers my friend.
Sad but you illustrate history in a compelling way. You are a natural storyteller and you do an awesome job presenting stories that need to be told in an honest non sugar coated way. 👍 been to Cairo and it's spooky. A forgotten town from a turbulent past.
Your creativity with this video amazing. Raw emotions felt as you spoke. Awesome.
Thank you! ♥︎
Around 2003, I was traveling south on I57 to Memphis. Going almost straight south from WI, I had two choices, swing through St Louis, or dodge a lot of the toll roads and swoop around the middle of WI and Illinois and head in a straight line on I57. The internet map said time wise was close, but the way through Illinois was like 40 miles less, and frankly all I57 was used for was big rigs.
I was 23. I had almost never been out of my circle of 3 counties, much less WI.
Got down to the tip of Illinois. Had a quarter tank of gas, didn't know when the next town would be after I crossed the river so took the exit to Cairo. Remember thinking "huh. Like Egypt maybe!"
I immediatly knew I had made a mistake, but the station was right off the highway. A run down busted up asphalt place with rusty pumps and a tiny shack of a "store". I went in, gave the guy a 20, and went to put enough gas in to escape.
Even then, the buildings in the area were broken down(actually down, like on the ground) with partly demolished areas, another station across the street the whole island/canopy thing was laying on it's side and the store was half gone. The roads were cracked and looked to be basically ignored for maybe 20+ years.
I got the heck out of there. On my way back up north later, and down south and back north again a few months later, I knew better. I think there was another town, maybe it was Marion or something like that, a little ways up the road from Cairo. A much nicer place, that.
The sad thing is that well within living memory, Cairo IL was a thriving small town with many viable businesses and some serious prosperity in some places. It was wiped out by the upheavals of the 60s and 70s, it's actually remarkably like a mini-version of what happened to Detroit, right down to the nasty racial politics.
This is very sad to see this. My Mom was born there in 1930's & moved to California in the early 60's.Thanks for sharing.👍
Hi Jim What a incredible and sad story .. it sure makes one wonder.. I have seen small towns go down the tubes but not place of this size.. As always u did a fabulous job with your video.. your one of the best on here if not the best.. thanks , always, Jan🌻
Hi Jan! Thank you! I appreciate that very much!!
Jimmy, you've found your calling doing Documentaries. Your fact telling/storytelling is on par with Media Standards, and your delivery is really good. I appreciate the video, it depicts the unvarnished truth of our nation in disrepair. You educate through your journey, well done !!! Always, Syn Silver.
Very nice little documentary on a town that once was. Thanks for sharing Jimmy!
What a sad place! So many homeless folks in this country, yet a whole town is left to decay... thanks for sharing, Jimmy - your videos are always interesting!
True! Thanks Kyle!!
Great video Jimmy. Such a sad story. So many old beautiful homes just abandoned & decaying.
Thanks Linda!
Jimmy you certainly did an amazing job sharing the history of this once booming town. You shared it with respect to the people who once lived here. It is so sad that is was just left to fall apart. This is another place to will go on our list of places to go see and learn about the people who lived there.
Thank you so much! It's an interesting place to drive through.
I am planning a civil rights road trip and have not come across Cairo. You know every country has a shameful part of their history but when it is woven into the fabric of the country I was born in, the country your children live in the response is raw. So many children have suffered terribly because of racial predjudice. Even a city like Cairo shows visibly the rot racist people leave behind. Growing up in California I viewed bigotry as part of our history. Now, living in the south east, I am shocked at how division is held on to and thought of as normal. Kindness, simple kindness to all those you meet will go a long way. Everyone deserves to be treated with kindness. Thank you Jimmy for a meaningful reel of Americana.
What a great video. Certainly thought provoking about the causes of urban decay. I loved the statue.
What was the 4 story building with green windows at the beginning of video. What did it use to be?
We've been watching a couple of young people who call themselves "urban explorers"..there are several abandoned places in this country...it's shocking, really third world. Very interesting video Jimmy, thanks. :)
Thanks MD!
So sad. I was in high school in Chicago when the National Guard was sent into Cairo.
Hi Jimmy, unbelievable how this place just went south as the old saying goes. I had Family there who work on the railroad. 1890- through to the 1915. Then the 1st WWar came along. And many came home to Canada and left in the Army and just never came home. It was good to see as I drove though in he early to mid Eighties. Thanks for the views and the sharing. ByeBye
Hi Marie! Oh wow! I'm sure it's quite different in 30 years.
You may have an award winning documentary there, Jimmy. Did you do a lot of videography before the RV stuff? You have such a good eye and the background music is always a perfect fit for subject. Safe travels.
Thank you Nana! ♥︎
the physical manifestation of hate, greed and apathy. Coming to a town near year if we all don't stop what's currently going on in this country and start a dialogue of what we want this country to stand for.
Yes!! A sad state of affairs. Thanks AG!
Nicely done Jimmy! I appreciate the time and effort you put into producing your videos. Thank you! I live in Southeast Missouri and am very familiar with Cairo and it's history. There is still a stigma attached to this town. It is so sad to see what was once a thriving community slowly decay away. Unfortunately it is one of many.
Thanks Valorie! Very sad.
Excellent documentary! Of coarse, your voice brings it all together. I love your perspectives on life. You are a very "soulful" human. Thank you Jimmy.
Thank you Cheryl!
Awesome job Jimmy, you are a true narrator. It's very sad about the city.Safe Travels.
Hey guys! Thank you!!
That is crazy! I had no idea. Thanks for the great video. Love from Arizona
Thanks Terry!
Wow! What a great little Documentary on the history of this town. The destruction of racism goes so much farther than the people it attempts to destroy. Thank you for exposing this to the light Jimmy. You have a talent for doing this while allowing folks to make their own judgements.
Hi MsBeach! You're so right! Thank you!!
That is a sad story because there are homeless people all over the world.that need places to live, young Mother's that needs a place to call home they should try and see how to go about getting someone to help them open a clean family oriented for people that are down on there luck!! Hugs for you jimmy🤗💛💟💛🤗
Jane Diaz,I totally agree with you, we see homeless camps out there and then we see abandoned communities!? And automatically want to put them together! But that's only part of the equation They will all need jobs, groceries, ect...
Thanks Jane!! ♥︎
Great video and very interesting. It is very sad to see historic buildings and homes decaying like this. Reminds us there is still boom and bust cycles in our country, just slower than the boom towns that became ghost towns in the old west.
Thanks!
Hey Jimmy I think this is one of your best films!!! The narration and the way you put the scenes together and the music good job man!!! Yeah I think you're on to something with the documentary type videos!!!! Way cool!!! Okay brother later!!! Cool Cove Don!!!
Hey Don! Thank you so much my friend!
WOW! Thank you for this video. A piece of forgotten history.
I’m sure others have suggested. But your voice is so smooth and easy to listen to. You need a job reading for electronic books or ?? One would think you could do it from your nomad abode too.
Thanks Donna! People have suggested that but I appreciate you mentioning it!!
Thanks for posting, brought back memories, sure wasn't like that in the 60's, last time I was there was '68 or so.
Whoa, really kinda sad. Okay, really sad. It's like so many places all over the country that are just falling into ruin. Places once filled with life, now being taken back by nature.
Great video Jimmy, thanks for sharing Cairo with us!
Thanks Samantha!!
An excellent video and thank you for telling the story. such tragedy when hate takes over a town when, if they had stood
together it really had everything on its doorstep to make a beautiful come back.
So true! Thanks!!
lol
Illinois taxes and the Interstate bypass killed it.
No bottleneck = no business
Excellent work, dude. Real content! Love the history, the lesson, the overall production ... bravo! :)
Thanks a lot!
I have just now watched this video. I live about 100 miles to the north of Cairo along I57 and haven't been through the actual town of Cairo in decades since the interstate takes you to the west of the town over into Missouri. I occasionally see reports on the news of some happening in the town, but I never realized it had deteriorated to this point..how sad.
Very interesting and well done video- thank you for sharing.
Thanks Mona!
Very educational video. You did an excellent job filming. You capture the history and it is so professional.
Cairo is a perfect example of what hatred and bigotry can do. We had better come together as “ one nation under God “! Those Nazi signs look too familiar and those white supremacists should watch this video to see what the results of hatred are. Thanks for this important film! The school children should watch this! We all must come together as one human race and know that all are created equally by God. Thanks for sharing your wonderful talent!
Cairo was a low skill low education town that has been dying for a century. If the blacks and whites had held hands and sang songs it was still an obsolete town. Things got nastier when low wage jobs were tough to find and the white business owners refused to hire blacks - instead hired their cousins. Then, the new Interstate highway bypassed the town and travelers no longer stopped and did what little business they once had. In the so called boom years Cairo citizens never funded a local college as forward looking towns do. There were more problems here than racial tension.
I wonder if ANYONE will be honest enough to say "that's my grandma/grandpa holding that racist poster"...
Why do we think western ghost towns are "romantic" and worthy of a look as tourists but urban decay is not. Well done.
Good point! I find it so fascinating!
It's really depressing and sad, considering that it mirrors exactly what's happening a couple hundred miles up the river in East St. Louis, once an economic hub but now only about a fifth of the population it had at its peak.
Sad to see a town so wiped out like that. You have such a great storyteller.
Thank you!!
I live about 2 hours away from Cairo. Pass through there a lot since I was a kid on way to visit family in Kentucky I'm 35 now and have watched from year to year how the town has slowly deteriorated. I still love the giant flood gate. Also slow down lots of speed traps hey they need some kind of revenue o guess
I drove to Kentucky twice, I live in Missouri and took IL3 to pass Cairo. This town is like a ghost town. It’s pretty cool, but creepy. Main ST is 30 mph so it’s like a theme park ride.
Very nice video Jimmy! Sad to see! Please keep wandering your channel is interesting! 👍👍
Thank you Marie!!
My Grandpa was born in Cairo. I'm 30 now and he died when I was around 12. He always told us the racial issues and the lack of product being transported on the river was the main reason the town fell apart for sure. Crime started rising and all the white people left to escape the area.
there are some really beautiful old buildings it's a shame to see them falling apart. Very interesting video
Thanks!
Wow! There were some beautiful homes and buildings there. Someone commented that it is the country seat. Eerie. Interesting statue. Great video.
Thank you!!
What it says for America is sad. I also live in a sad little town with a declining population, even though there are over three million people within a 40 minute drive from here. And yes it's decline began with the racial tensions after the Civil War and on through the 60s. Now there are no jobs that pay a living wage unless you make one. Fortunately there is grant money to help. That has the potential for corruption... Thank you for such a wonderful presentation, and I look forward to your next video. They are all so interesting!
Thanks Susan!! Thanks for watching!
@@wanderingjimmy1957 The racial tensions in Cairo were from poor whites trying to hold on to a declining economy. White business owners wouldn't hire blacks for many of the remaining low wage jobs. The county government jobs were set aside for whites only. The educated whites were leaving town. The hospital closed and most of those with skills left or retired.
I'm glad I found this video. I had no idea this place existed. I have a dream of building a community that is not connected with the grid. Maybe this is a good place to start one. 🤔
Sad history of what must have been a beautiful town. Thanks, Jimmy :) Stay safe and Happy Adventures ...
Thanks Tsuki!!
Cairo and the abandoned houses reminds me of NOLA and the area devastated by Katrina. I drove to the end of the road, past all the abandoned houses with big red X's on them. A few were being repaired with help from Volunteers. I t was so sad and spooky walking around some of the little houses closest to the water after watching the coverage & rescues 24/7 on TV. Wish I could have helped more, but had a stroke survivor with me.
I love NOLA! I was there just before Katrina and a year after it and it was so sad. The wreckage and horrible conditions people were trying to survive in. ☹️
Wow Jimmy that was great! I grew up in SW Indiana in the small city of Vincennes. I thought Vincennes had problems but nothing in comparison to Cairo. The whole region is economically depressed and you seem to have stumbled on to the epicenter. Seems like you are enjoying the west, it is the place to be. I live in the middle of nowhere now in Garden City, KS but it is a short drive to Colorado and New Mexico. If my health improves maybe Susan and I will see you out there some where on the road. If you can't tell, watching your older videos. Take care buddy.
I was one of the photographers for the United Front along with Jim Brown from 1970-72. A couple of my photos are in this report. The white hats targeted me and almost killed me with a shot from the top of the police station. See "Let My People Go, Cairo" S.I.U. Press, 1996.
Thanks.. will check it out.
Cairo was Grant's headquarters at the beginning of the civil war. It was his base of operations for patrolling southeast Missouri.
Thanks for the tidbit!
I will give you an A+ excellent work. You do a better job than Professional documentaries.
Wow that was qwick... lol .. that is the best vidio I have seen ... period... u r going to Excell ..
😊♥︎
This makes me incredibly sad. 😳
Wow, very cool! That tree growing threw the theater was amazing! 😃
Thanks! I love nature!
Me too! I'm a proud tree hugging, dirt worshiper lol 😁
A great documentary. Well done job Jimmy
Thanks Kodey!
I'm from that area. As teenagers we would go to Cairo to buy beer. Bullet holes riddled some of the buildings. The Gem theatre I've been to. I believe there was a nightclub called King Tuts in the same area.
Jmmy nicely done.
I think there are many places like this in the U.S. especially along the rivers...growing up I always heard people call it Kay-row, Illinois (S) not sure though 👍🏻
Reminds me of Detroit.......great video Jimmy!
Thanks!
What happened to Cairo and what happened to Detroit have a _lot_ of parallels.
Jimmy, That was an amazing video, so well narrated, I forgot it was you? I was mesmerized.
Katherine~
Sad, sad, sad! Wow Jimmy what a wonderful documentary you have put together here. I had no idea!
Great video. I love history, even though this is sad, such a beautiful city went to ruin. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Carol!
Grew up in Southeast Missouri. I can still remember when Cairo was at least a bit thriving. Hadn't been in many years so decided to drive through a few years ago. On the way back to STL took the 62 bridge, through Cairo and up to Route 3. Quite depressing how much it had deteriorated.
I live in springfield, a few hours north of there. I have been there once. It is sad to see such an historic city become a living ghost town
We live in the Cape Girardeau area and my husband worked for Illinois Central Railroad in Cairo! I was holding my breath when you were there! It can be very dangerous but even saying that we still go to Cairo to get a barbecue at Shemwells! Lol! The best barbecue around!
I saw it, I should have gone!!
Your voice is perfect for narrating! Good video!
Thanks!!
Fascinating docuvid Jimmy. And have you thought of working as a voice artist? You would be excellent. Tfs.
Thanks LC! It's been suggested. Maybe something to look into.
wandering jimmy ...and it won’t further damage your back. Seriously, you need to check into doing voice overs, etc. Check on getting an agent to help you find jobs. Once established, you can go out in your own.
I live a couple of hours away from Cairo. I remember going there as a child with family and it being full of business. Would take trips there in high school to see the confluences of the rivers. Was a beautiful town. Sad it had a lot of racism in it.
Better dive the speed limit too, they love giving out tickets!
Sheeet, I hit the gas driving through there.
This is the type of place that you should go to if there’s ever nuclear war or have to live off the grid
Great video Jimmy. Sad to see all those falling homes & buildings
Thanks Barb!
Mark Twain talked about that town in his book Life on the Mississippi. I hadn't heard about it for years until one spring the Army CoE was trying to decide whether or not to divert the river to save the town from flooding.
Oh wow! Lots of history there.
They instead blew the levee on the Missouri side and ruined thousands of acres of the most fertile farms in the country.
At first, I thought it was Detroit! So sad...the young are gone...🌷🚍
FR3 At Last another racist trying to push shit you did on someone else. Racism was partly responsible for this. Now you want to compare it to Detroit. You just have to cross the river into Missouri or just go up State in Illinois to se the same shit. But you picked Detroit. (St. Louis, East St. Louis)
@@sneakypete139 How is it Racist?
My dad grew up in Cairo , he moved to Detroit after WW2 to find employment. Your showing your ignorance comparing the two as the same. I am am certain you have no clue about Detroit besides the garbage you hear.
Frist Name Last Name one of the things that started the decline in this city was the the racism that existed in its supposed heyday. And your reaching all the way to Detroit to compare it to. You have cities within two or three hours( St. Louis, E. St. Louis, Peoria) that you could do the same. But like all racist do they pick Detroit not knowing the renaissance taking place there. The city is coming back but its gonna take time just like it took time for it to get were it was. It just saddens me to see how racist uses that city as an example of the worst part of America. Start looking at yourselves and stop playing the blame game!!!!
FR3 At Last no it looks worse
Nice history lesson, Thanks Jim.
Thanks!
When I looked at Cairo on google maps just now, the very first street view I zoomed in was right at that caboose and break in the levee. What a shame that the city has fallen into such condition. So many vacant lots and boarded-up/broken-down buildings.
I am fascinated by the whole urban decay thing, but this place takes it to another level!
Wow Jimmy, well done.👏
Thanks Bonnie!
Cairo was a bottleneck for hwy 62 and hwy 51. When Interstate 57 bypassed it in the 1970's, the businesses suffered and closed, much like Route 66. The Gem was a video rental store in the late 1980's. Most of the buildings have been for sale for 30 years, but no takers, and have been torn down in the last 5-10 years.
Why does nobody scrap all that metal laying around? I live by Chicago so I’m not driving that far but there’s cash money laying around everywhere
I was born and raised across the river from Cairo. It is pronounced Care-oh. It is very sad. My Dad taught school at Cairo high school during some of the racial problems and I remember it all happening .
One of your best, from content to layout to the end 👍👍👍
Thank you!
Wow, that's pretty sad. And to see those guys with swastikas on, was awful. What a shame. Good video, though!
Thanks Joan!
I wonder, are there still some people living in their mansions? And if they are, how are they getting their utilities and where are they buying their groceries? Is the Bigfoot sightings true?
Excellent narratoring and choice of music in making this video sound like a documentary! Great job Jimmy.
The couple "manors" i showed are owned by the city, I think, and you can take tours. There were other nice large houses in that part of town that had people living in them but still many empty and crumbling homes around them.There were a couple convenient stores, a liquor store and a couple small restaurants. I think they must cross the river to Kentucky to find a real grocery store. I know nothing about bigfoot! 😆 Thanks Rose!!
I have no idea about the bigfoot story either, but I do know a guy who knew the people who made the claim, and he doesn't believe a word of it.
Those who mismanaged the HUD funding should lose their homes and pay restitution to those residence.
Very good video. My grandparents are from Cairo and got married in the church that still stands. My father was born in the hospital there. What happened in Cairo was very sad!! Race riots and hate crimes ruined the city. It had beautiful big historical mansions and brick streets. I visited about 5 years ago and every time we drive through it gets worse. I wish someone would get the city up and running again. It’s a beautiful place on the river.
I would love to revive the town, and bring back the glory days for Cairo, IL.
But fact is the Town is so far gone, and destroyed. It would cost a lot, and needs tons of resources, which wouldn't be cost effective for Illinois, or The United States as a whole.
What remains Cario would have to partition the Illinois's Congress to grant them State funding, or they can try, and attract Companies like Tech, Cars, and eta. But seeing the video, and what the could be the current state of the Town. It's highly unlikely, that the Illinois's State Congress would approve of any funding, and any company wouldn't want to take a chance, in a area they consider to be "High risk".
That's mainly way the Citys on the Coasts do well, and Citys/Towns inland are struggling to stay alive.
It's a sad thing to happen to such a Historically beautiful Town. That's why people should pay attention to there local politicians, and Politics as a whole. So that we don't repeat Cario's story.
Note: I never been to Cario. But I hope Cario does come back to promenades.
Wonderful video, unfortunately this is happening for various reasons all over the country. Can you give us an update on how your back is doing? Best wishes.
Thanks JR! My back is doing pretty well. When I baby it a bit, it's not bad. Still waiting to hear back from doctors.