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Cairo, Illinois

2025-09-29T17:59:20Z

68.107.135.104: /* Lynchings */ Added Harry Salzner's name to the first line as he was one of the two lynched.

{{Short description|City in the United States}}
{{About|the town in Illinois|other uses|Cairo (disambiguation)}}
{{Use American English|date=June 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2018}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Cairo, Illinois
| settlement_type = [[List of municipalities in Illinois|City]]
| image_skyline = StPatrickChurchCairoIL.jpg
| imagesize =
| image_alt =
| image_caption = Washington Avenue in Cairo, Illinois
| image_flag = Flag of Cairo, Illinois.png
| image_seal =
| etymology = [[Cairo]], Egypt
| nickname =
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| image_map = File:Alexander County Illinois Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Cairo Highlighted.svg
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| pushpin_map = Illinois#USA
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| pushpin_label = Cairo
| coordinates = {{coord|37|0|47|N|89|10|49|W|display=inline,title}}
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| subdivision_type = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name = {{USA}}
| subdivision_type1 = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1 = {{flag|Illinois}}
| subdivision_type2 = [[List of counties in Illinois|County]]
| subdivision_name2 = [[Alexander County, Illinois|Alexander]]
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| established_title = Incorporated
| established_date = 1857
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| named_for = [[Cairo|Cairo, Egypt]]
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| leader_title = Mayor
| leader_name = Thomas Simpson<ref>{{cite news|url=https://thesouthern.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/with-only-one-incumbent-re-elected-cairo-will-soon-be-under-new-city-leadership/article_7a5e550f-f1ef-5dc3-81cc-2147e9a373e5.html |last=Hevern |first=Erin |title=Cairo residents allowed back in as mayor lifts evacuation order |newspaper=Southeast Missourian |access-date=August 16, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110519114653/http://www.semissourian.com/story/1726712.html |archive-date=May 19, 2011 }}</ref>
| leader_title1 = Mayor
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| unit_pref = Imperial
| area_footnotes = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_17.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=March 15, 2022}}</ref>
| area_total_sq_mi = 9.11
| area_land_sq_mi = 6.99
| area_water_sq_mi = 2.12
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| elevation_footnotes = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_ft = 315
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| population_as_of = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
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| population_total = 1733
| pop_est_as_of = 2024
| population_est = 1523 {{loss}}
| pop_est_footnotes = <ref>{{cite web |title=City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2024 |url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-total-cities-and-towns.html |website=United States Census Bureau |publisher=U.S. Department of Commerce |date=March 2025 |access-date=August 31, 2025}}</ref>
| population_density_sq_mi = auto
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| timezone1 = [[Central Time Zone|CST]]
| utc_offset1 = −6
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| postal_code_type = [[ZIP Code]]
| postal_code = 62914
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| area_code = [[Area code 618#United States|618]]
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| blank_info = 17-10383
| blank1_name = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info = 2393491<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2393491}}</ref>
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| blank2_name_sec2 = Wikimedia Commons
| blank2_info_sec2 = Cairo, Illinois
| website = {{URL|http://www.cairodevelopment.com/}}
| footnotes =
| area_total_km2 = 23.59
| area_land_km2 = 18.10
| area_water_km2 = 5.49
| population_density_km2 = 95.77
}}

'''Cairo''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|k|ɛər|oʊ}} {{respell|KAIR|oh}},<ref>{{cite book|last1=Brown|first1=Donald E.|last2=Schooley|first2=Frank E.|year=1957|title=Pronunciation Guide for Illinois Place Names|publisher=University of Illinois|url=https://archive.org/stream/pronunciationgui00brow#page/11/mode/1up}}</ref> sometimes {{IPAc-en|ˈ|k|eɪ|r|oʊ}} {{respell|KAY|roh}})<ref>McClelland, Edward (2019). "[https://www.chicagomag.com/city-life/august-2019/a-downstate-illinois-dictionary/ A Downstate Illinois Dictionary]." Chicago Magazine.</ref> is the southernmost city in the U.S. state of [[Illinois]] and the [[county seat]] of [[Alexander County, Illinois|Alexander County]]. A river city, Cairo has the lowest elevation of any location in Illinois and is the only Illinois city to be surrounded by [[levee]]s. The city is named after [[Cairo|Egypt's capital]] on the [[Nile]] and is located in the river-crossed area of [[Southern Illinois]] known as "[[Southern Illinois|Little Egypt]]". It is [[Coterminous municipality|coterminous]] with [[Cairo Precinct, Alexander County, Illinois|Cairo Precinct]].

Cairo is located at the [[confluence]] of the [[Ohio River|Ohio]] and [[Mississippi River|Mississippi]] rivers, the largest rivers in [[North America]], and is near the [[Cache River (Illinois)|Cache River]] complex, a [[List of Ramsar Wetlands of International Importance|Wetland of International Importance]]. Settlement began in earnest in the 1830s and busy [[Riverboat|river boat]] traffic expanded through the 1850s. [[Fort Defiance (Illinois)|Fort Defiance]], a [[American Civil War|Civil War]] base, was located here in 1862 by [[Union (American Civil War)|Union]] General [[Ulysses S. Grant]] to control strategic access to the rivers and launch and supply his [[Mississippi River campaigns|successful campaigns south]].<ref name="britannica.com" /> The town also served as a [[naval base]] for the [[Mississippi River Squadron]] to pursue the [[Anaconda Plan]] to win the war.<ref name="britannica.com" /> Developed as a [[Inland port|river port]], Cairo was later bypassed by transportation changes away from the large expanse of low-lying land, wetland, and water, which surrounds Cairo and makes such infrastructure difficult, and due to industrial restructuring, the population peaked at 15,203 in 1920, while in the 2020 census it was 1,733.

Several blocks in the town comprise the [[Cairo Historic District]], listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] (NRHP). The [[Old Custom House (Cairo, Illinois)|Old Customs House]] is also on the NRHP. The city is part of the [[Cape Girardeau–Jackson metropolitan area]].

The entire city was evacuated during [[2011 Mississippi River floods|Mississippi River floods in 2011]], after the Ohio River rose higher than the [[Ohio River Flood of 1937|1937 flood]] levels, with the possibility of Cairo being inundated by 15 feet of water. To prevent flooding in Cairo and other more populous areas farther downstream along both the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, the [[United States Army Corps of Engineers]] breached levees in the Mississippi flood zone in [[Missouri]], near Cairo.

==History==

===Beginnings===
[[File:Embarkation of General McClernand's Brigade at Cairo.jpg|thumb|right|Embarkation of [[Union (American Civil War)|Union]] troops from Cairo on January 10, 1862]]
Cairo was named after the Egyptian city of the same name because its location at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers was reminiscent of the [[Nile Delta]].<ref name="knowles">{{cite news |last1=Knowles |first1=Daniel |title=America is uniquely ill-suited to handle a falling population |url=https://www.economist.com/briefing/2024/04/18/america-is-uniquely-ill-suited-to-handle-a-falling-population |access-date=19 April 2024 |newspaper=[[The Economist]] |date=April 18, 2024}}</ref>

The first municipal charter for Cairo and the Bank of Cairo were issued in 1818, but without any settlement and without any depositors.<ref name="britannica.com">{{Cite web | url=https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/88546/Cairo |title = Cairo | Illinois, United States| date=October 25, 2023 }}</ref> A second and successful effort to establish a town was made by the Cairo City and Canal Company in 1836–37, with a large levee built to encircle the site.<ref name="britannica.com" /> However, this effort collapsed in 1840, with few settlers remaining.<ref name="britannica.com" />

[[Charles Dickens]] visited Cairo in 1842, and was unimpressed.<ref name="britannica.com" /> The city would serve as his prototype for the nightmare City of Eden in his novel ''[[Martin Chuzzlewit]]''.<ref name="britannica.com" /> In 1846, 10,000 acres in Cairo were purchased by the trustees of the Cairo City Property Trust, a group of investors including writer [[John Neal]]<ref>{{Cite book |publisher=Printed by B. Thurston |location=Portland [Me.] |title=The past, present and future of the city of Cairo, in North America |author=Cairo City Property (Cairo, Ill.) |date=1858 |page=99 |oclc=13619400|ol=271527M |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OJYUAAAAYAAJ}}</ref> who planned to make it the terminus of the projected [[Illinois Central Railroad]], which finally arrived there in 1855.

Cairo had been growing as an important river port for [[steamboat]]s, which traveled all the way south to New Orleans. The city had been designated as a port of delivery by Act of Congress in 1854.

A new city charter was written in 1857,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Papers Of Abraham Lincoln |url=https://papersofabrahamlincoln.org/places/x4014254 |access-date=2025-04-14 |website=papersofabrahamlincoln.org}}</ref> and Cairo flourished as trade with [[Chicago]] to the north spurred development. By 1860, the population exceeded 2,000.

{{CSS image crop|Image=The Photographic History of The Civil War Volume 01 Page 188.jpg|bSize=220|cWidth=190|cHeight=205|oTop=20|oLeft=7|Location=left|Description=General Grant's headquarters.}}
During the [[American Civil War|Civil War]], Admiral [[Andrew Hull Foote]] made Cairo the naval station for the [[Mississippi River Squadron]] on September 6, 1861. Since Cairo had no land available for base facilities, the navy yard repair shop machinery was afloat aboard wharf-boats, old steamers, tugs, flat-boats, and rafts.<ref>{{cite book |last=Miller |first=Francis Trevelyan |title =The Photographic History of The Civil War |publisher =Castle Books |volume =Six: The Navies |date =1957 |location =New York |pages =213–215 }}</ref> In January 1862, General [[Ulysses S. Grant]] occupied the city, and had [[Fort Defiance (Illinois)|Fort Defiance]] constructed to protect the confluence. Cairo became an important Union supply base and training center for the remainder of the war.<ref name="britannica.com" />

Military occupation caused much of the city's trade to be diverted by railroad to Chicago. Cairo failed to regain this important trade after the war, as more railroads converged on Chicago and it developed at a rapid pace, attracting stockyards, meat processing, and heavy industries. Instead, agriculture, lumber, and sawmills now dominated the Cairo economy.<ref name="britannica.com" />

===Post-war prosperity===
[[File:CairoIllPerspectiveMap1885.jpg|right|thumb|Cairo panoramic map, 1885. The Ohio River in front and the Mississippi River in back.]]
The strategic importance of Cairo's geographic location during the Civil War sparked prosperity in the town. Several banks were founded during the war years, and the growth in banking and [[steamboat]] traffic continued after the war.

In 1869, construction began on the United States [[Old Custom House (Cairo, Illinois)|Custom House]] and Post Office, which was designed by [[Alfred B. Mullet]], the [[Office of the Supervising Architect|Supervising Architect]]. The custom house was completed in 1872. It served as a custom house, post office, and United States Court. The [[United States district court|U.S. District Court]] for the Southern District of Illinois met at the building until 1905.

From 1905 to 1942, the Custom House was used for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Illinois. The building also housed the [[United States circuit court|U.S. Circuit Court]] for the Eastern District of Illinois from 1905 to 1912. At the height of Cairo's prosperity, the post office in the building was the third busiest in the United States. It is one of only seven of Mullet's [[Victorian architecture|Victorian]] structures remaining in the nation, and the building has been converted for use as a museum. It is listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref>[http://www.lib.niu.edu/1999/ihy990A446.html "US Customs House and Post Office, Cairo, IL"]{{Dead link|date=July 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, Northern Illinois University Library</ref>

After the Civil War, the city became a hub for railroad shipping in the region, which added to its economy. By 1900 several railroad lines branched from Cairo. In addition to shipping and railroads, a major industry in Cairo was the operation of ferries. Into the late 19th century, nearly 250,000 railroad cars could be ferried across the river in as little as six months. Vehicles were also ferried, as there were no automobile bridges in the area in the early 20th century. The ferry industry created numerous jobs in Cairo to handle large amounts of cargo and numerous passengers through the city.<ref name="lib.niu.edu">{{cite web |url=http://www.lib.niu.edu/2001/ihy010448.html |title=Cairo, Illinois |publisher=Lib.niu.edu |access-date=February 16, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130613101320/http://www.lib.niu.edu/2001/ihy010448.html |archive-date=June 13, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Wealthy merchants and shippers built numerous fine mansions in the 19th and early 20th century, including the [[Italianate architecture|Italianate]] ''[[Magnolia Manor (Cairo, Illinois)|Magnolia Manor]]'', completed in 1872, and the [[Second Empire architecture|Second Empire]] ''Riverlore Mansion'', built by Capt. [[William P. Halliday]] in 1865. Across the street from the customs house, the Cairo Public Library was constructed in 1883 of [[Queen Anne style architecture in the United States|Queen Anne-style architecture]], finished with stained glass windows and ornate woodwork. The library was dedicated on July 19, 1884, as the A. B. Safford Memorial Library. Anna E. Safford paid for the construction of the Library and donated it to the city. These and other significant buildings are also listed on the National Register.<ref>John McMurray Lansden. ''A history of the city of Cairo, Illinois''. 1910. pp 153–154, 231–234</ref>

For protection from seasonal flooding, Cairo is completely enclosed by a series of levees and [[flood wall]]s, due to its low elevation between the rivers. Several buildings, including the old custom house, were originally designed to be built to a higher street level, to be at the same height as the top of the levees. That plan was scrapped as the cost of fill to raise the streets and surrounding land to that height proved to be impractical. In 1914, a large flood gate was constructed by Stupp Brothers of St. Louis, Missouri. The flood gate is known as the "Big Subway Gate", and it was designed to seal the northern levee in Cairo by closing over U.S. Highway 51. The gate weighs 80 tons, is 60 feet wide, 24 feet high, and five feet thick. With the addition of the gate, Cairo could become an island, completely sealed off from approaching flood waters.

Following the [[Great Mississippi Flood of 1927]], the levee system around Cairo was strengthened. As part of this project, the Corps of Engineers established the [[Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway]]. The [[Ohio River flood of 1937]] brought a record water level to Cairo that crested at 59.5 feet. To protect Cairo, Corps of Engineers closed the flood gate and blew a breach in the Bird's Point levee for the first time to relieve pressure on the Cairo flood wall. Following the flood, the concrete flood wall was raised to its current height. It is designed to protect the town from flood waters up to 64 feet.<ref>[http://michaelminn.net/america/structures/cairo_gate] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927222519/http://michaelminn.net/america/structures/cairo_gate|date=September 27, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pjstar.com/free/x128435537/Cairo-flood-wall-holds-as-Ohio-River-rises |title=Cairo Flood Wall Holds as Ohio River Rises |publisher=PJ Star |access-date=August 16, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stlbeacon.org/region/109997-over-under-and-through-the-ohios-assault-on-cairo |title=Over Under and Through the Ohio's Assault on Cairo |work=St. Louis Beacon |access-date=August 16, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110907145555/http://www.stlbeacon.org/region/109997-over-under-and-through-the-ohios-assault-on-cairo |archive-date=September 7, 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2011/05/coast-guard-army-corps-of-engineers-assist-residents-in-midwest-flood-zone/110426-g-xv958-125-flooding-near-cairo-ill-and-birds-point |title=Coast Guard and Army Corps of Engineers Assist Residents in Midwest Flood Zone |publisher=Coast Guard |access-date=August 16, 2012 |archive-date=March 18, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120318054747/http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2011/05/coast-guard-army-corps-of-engineers-assist-residents-in-midwest-flood-zone/110426-g-xv958-125-flooding-near-cairo-ill-and-birds-point/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 1942, the federal government constructed a new U.S. Post Office and Courthouse in Cairo. Still growing, the city had a population approaching 15,000. The new federal court house, located at 1500 Washington, was designed by the architects [[Louis A. Simon]] and [[George Howe (architect)|George Howe]]. The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Illinois moved into the new courthouse in 1942, from the old U.S. Custom House and Post Office.

After the U.S. district court structure in Illinois was reorganized in 1978, the court house was used for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois. The building remains in use by the federal courts and as the active post office for Cairo. The courthouse was built and is operated by the [[U.S. General Services Administration]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iolp.gsa.gov/iolp/BuildingInfo.asp?bID=IL0017 |title=General Services Administration (GSA) Inventory of Owned and Leased Properties |access-date=August 16, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120313054952/http://www.iolp.gsa.gov/iolp/BuildingInfo.asp?bID=IL0017 |archive-date=March 13, 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM6BF4_US_Post_Office_and_Courthouse_Cairo_Illinois |title=U.S. Post Office and Courthouse – Cairo, Illinois |access-date=August 16, 2012}}</ref>

===Lynchings===
[[File:WillJamesMob.gif|thumb|An estimated crowd of 10,000 gathered for the [[lynching]] of Will James on November 11, 1909.]]

Cairo's turbulent history of [[race relations]] is marked by the 1909 spectacle [[lynching]] of black resident [[William "Froggie" James|William James]] and white resident Henry Salzner. In 1900, Cairo had a population of nearly 13,000. Of that total, approximately 5,000 residents were [[African-American]], or 38 percent. In 1900, this was an unusually high black population for a town of Cairo's size in the North. Five percent of all black residents in the state of Illinois lived here. Later in the early 20th century, [[Chicago]] became the center of black life in the state, as it was the destination of tens of thousands of migrants during the [[Great Migration (African American)|Great Migration]].

The Illinois constitution of 1818 allowed for limited slavery in the salt mines and allowed current slave owners to retain their slaves. The General Assembly also passed legislation that severely curtailed the rights of free blacks residing in the state and discouraged the migration of free blacks. If a black person was unable to present proof of their freedom they could be fined $50 or sold by the sheriff to the highest bidder. Not long after the passage of the constitution, the state's general assembly adopted a pro-slavery resolution that announced its approval of slavery in slave-holding states and at the same time condemned the formation of abolition societies within Illinois’ boundaries.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www2.illinois.gov/dnrhistoric/Research/pages/afamhist.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190805131910/https://www2.illinois.gov/dnrhistoric/Research/Pages/AfAmHist.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 5, 2019 |title=African Americans in Illinois |website=Historic Reservation Division }}</ref>

Although Black people comprised a large proportion of the Cairo population, they were frequently discriminated against in jobs and housing. Race relations were strained in 1900.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.executedtoday.com/2009/11/11/1909-will-james-the-froggie-lynched-cairo-illinois |title=1909: Will James, 'the Froggie', lynched in Cairo |date=November 11, 2009 |access-date=August 16, 2012}}</ref> The state passed an anti-lynching law in 1905.

On the night of November 11, 1909, two men were [[lynched]]. The first was [[Lynching of William "Froggie" James|William James]], an African American accused of the murder of Anna Pelly, a young white woman killed three days earlier, although there was no physical or circumstantial evidence connecting him to the crime.<ref name="james">[https://www.jstor.org/stable/2649083?read-now=1&loggedin=true&seq=2#page_scan_tab_contents " 'An Outrageous Proceeding': A Northern Lynching and Enforcement of Anti-Lynching Legislation in Illinois, 1905–1910", ''Journal of Negro History'', 1999],{{jstor|2649083}}</ref> The second man lynched was Henry Salzner, a white man who had allegedly murdered his white wife the previous August.{{citation needed|date=March 2025}} A group of civil rights activists in Chicago hired journalist [[Ida B. Wells]] to investigate the lynchings. After the residents had calmed down, Governor Deneen enforced the 1905 anti-lynching law by dismissing Sheriff Davis for failing to protect James and Salzner.<ref name="james"/> Wells sided with the governor against reinstatement.

===Economic decline===
The slow economic decline of Cairo can be traced to local and regional changes back to the early 20th century. In 1889, the [[Cairo Rail Bridge|Illinois Central Railroad bridge]] was completed over the Ohio River, which brought about a decline in ferry business. The immediate economic impact was not severe, as the railroad traffic still was directed through Cairo, and automobile and truck traffic increased in the early 20th century.

In 1905, a second bridge was constructed across the Mississippi River at [[Thebes, Illinois]]. The effects of the second bridge were more severe, as rail traffic through Cairo was now reduced and railroad ferry operations were no longer necessary. As the steamboat industry was replaced with barges, river traffic had less reason to stop in Cairo.

In 1929, the [[Cairo Mississippi River Bridge]] was completed, linking Missouri with Illinois to the south of Cairo. In 1937, the [[Cairo Ohio River Bridge]] was completed. Completion of the two bridges ended the ferry industry in Cairo, putting many people out of work. As the town was bypassed by two bridges to the south, it also lost the benefit of motorist travel and trade between the states. Motorists cross the southern tip of Illinois between Missouri and Kentucky, completely bypassing the city of Cairo.<ref name="lib.niu.edu" /><ref>[http://michaelminn.net/america/structures/cairo_gate/] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927222519/http://michaelminn.net/america/structures/cairo_gate/|date=September 27, 2011}}</ref> While the city was protected by its levees from destruction when the Ohio River rose to record heights during the 1937 flood, the city's economic decline continued.

===Racial tensions and further decline===
{{Main|Racial unrest in Cairo, Illinois}}
Between the 1930s and 1960s, the population in Cairo remained fairly steady; however, many jobs were gone as the shipping, railroad, and ferry industries left the city. Population decline began as workers moved to other cities.

Racial tensions rose in the late 1960s as African-Americans sought implementation of gains under new federal civil rights laws passed as a result of the [[Civil Rights Movement]]. The police, fire department, and most city jobs were still overwhelmingly dominated by whites. African-Americans were allegedly harassed by the police and unjustly targeted. On July 16, 1967, Robert Hunt, a 19-year-old black soldier home on leave, was allegedly found hanged in the Cairo police station. Police reported that Hunt had hanged himself with his [[t-shirt]], but many members of the black community of Cairo accused the police of murder. There had been an alleged history of police discrimination and violence against black residents of the city.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lib.niu.edu/1997/ii970228.html |title=Let my people Go |access-date=August 16, 2012}}</ref>

The death of Robert Hunt sparked aggressive protests in Cairo's black community. On July 17, 1967, a large portion of the black population in Cairo began rioting. The black rioting that erupted in 1967 was not confined to Cairo; it was part of a larger pattern of more than 40 racially motivated riots that broke out in major cities in the United States in the summer of 1967. During the night of rioting on July 17, three stores and a warehouse in Cairo were burned to the ground, and windows were broken out of numerous other buildings. The National Guard unit at Cairo was activated to respond to the violence.<ref>"Alert Guard After Racial Riots in Cairo". ''Chicago Tribune''. July 18, 1967. p. 11.</ref>

On July 20, 1967, one of the leaders of the violence in Cairo warned white city officials, "Cairo will look like Rome burning down" if city leaders did not meet the demands of the black groups in Cairo by Sunday, July 23, 1967. The spokesman represented approximately one hundred black residents of the Pyramid Court housing project. They demanded new job opportunities, organized recreation programs for their children, and an end to police brutality. Cairo Mayor Lee Stenzel and other city leaders met with federal and state representatives to ensure that a plan was developed to satisfy the demands by the deadline in an effort to head off any additional rioting.<ref>"Scattered Race Riot Recurring". ''The Free-Lance Star''. July 21, 1967. p. 3.</ref><ref>"Cairo Seeks to Head Off More Riots". ''Sarasota Herald-Tribune''. July 22, 1967. p. 1.</ref>

In response to the rioting, the white community in Cairo formed a citizens protection group that was deputized by the sheriff. The protection group became known as the "White Hats", because many of its 600 members began wearing white construction hats to show their membership while patrolling the streets to maintain order. In the following two years, accusations of White Hat bullying incidents in the black community began to increase. In early 1969, a few activists of the civil rights struggle formed the [[Cairo United Front]], a civil rights organization to bring together the local [[NAACP]], a cooperative association, and a couple of black street gangs. The Cairo United Front was formed to organize the efforts of the black population in Cairo to counter the White Hats. The United Front formally accused the White Hats of intimidating the black community, and presented a list of seven demands to the City of Cairo. The seven demands included appointment of a black police chief, appointment of a black assistant fire chief, and an equal black-white ratio in all city jobs.<ref>"Races: War in Little Egypt". ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]''. September 26, 1969.</ref>

Racial violence in Cairo reached a peak during summer 1969 as the Cairo United Front began leading protests and demonstrations to end segregation and draw attention to its seven demands. The protests led to a rash of violence that was stopped only when Illinois Governor [[Richard Ogilvie]] deployed National Guardsmen to restore the peace. In summer 1969, the Cairo United Front also began what became a decade-long [[boycott]] of white-owned businesses, which had generally not hired blacks as clerks or staff. The boycott encompassed virtually all the businesses in the town.

In December 1969, violence escalated again and several businesses were burned on Saturday, December 6. Early that morning, residents of the Pyramid Courts housing project opened fire on three firemen and the Chief of Police while they were responding to one of the intense fires. During the shootout, the Chief of Police and one of the firemen were shot by a high-powered rifle. Thirteen people were eventually arrested during the conflict.<ref>"2 Businesses Burn Saturday Morning". ''The Southeast Missourian''. December 8, 1969. p. 4.</ref> The Cairo Chief of Police resigned the next month, stating that Cairo lacked both the legal and physical means to deal with the "guerrilla warfare tactics" that had left the town in a state of turmoil for over two years.<ref>"Racial Tension Prompts Police Chief to Quit". ''Meriden Journal''. January 2, 1970. p. 8.</ref>

To enforce the boycott, African-American picketing of businesses continued throughout 1970. In December, the city enacted a new city ordinance banning picketing within 20 feet of a business. Another large violent clash erupted as a result of the new city ordinance. Following the violence, the United Front called for another large rally and resumed picketing at white-owned businesses despite the new ordinance. The picketing turned violent after police heard shots fired and moved on the crowd.<ref>"More Picketing Called Following Cairo, Ill Riot". ''The Lewiston Daily''. December 7, 1970. p. 4.</ref>

In 1978, the [[Cairo I-57 Bridge]] across the Mississippi River was opened. The interstate largely bypassed Cairo to the north, crippling the remaining hospitality industry in the city. Cairo's hospital closed in December 1986, due to high debt and a dwindling number of patients.

===Current status===
[[File:Cairobridge.jpg|thumb|The Cairo Levee underpass]]
[[File:GEMblockCairoIL.jpg|thumb|right|The mostly abandoned Historic Downtown Cairo.]]
[[File:Ruined buildings in Cairo, IL.png|thumb|Commerce Street, with mostly ruined buildings.]]
With the decline in river trade, as has been the case in many other cities on the Mississippi, Cairo has suffered a marked decline in its economy and population.<ref name="knowles" /> Its highest population was 15,203 in 1920;<ref>[http://sanborn.umi.com/il/1760/dateid-000007.htm?CCSI=105n Sanborn, "Cairo, IL"], University of Michigan</ref> in 2020 it had 1,733 residents, about an 89% loss of population from its peak a century earlier. The city has decreased in population for eight consecutive [[United States Census Bureau|US census reports]] from 1950 to 2020.

The city faces many significant socio-economic challenges for the remaining population, including poverty, crime, issues in education, unemployment and rebuilding its tax base.

The closure of the Elmwood and McBride [[Public housing|housing projects]] was announced by the federal government in 2017. In August 2017, [[Ben Carson]], the [[United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development|Secretary of Housing and Urban Development]] at the time, visited the city. Ten families had found new housing, but an estimated 400 people will be affected by the closure.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/2017/08/09/542327211/carson-promises-to-help-residents-of-housing-projects-his-department-is-shutting|title=Carson Promises To Help Residents Of Housing Projects His Department Is Shutting Down|last=Siegler|first=Kurt|date=August 9, 2017|work=National Public Radio|access-date=2018-05-04|language=en}}</ref>

The community and region are working to stop abandonment of the city. They are restoring some architectural landmarks, and plan to develop heritage tourism focusing on the city's history and relationship to the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. Other cities have used such strategies to attract visitors and build new businesses to their communities.

A community clinic offers medical and dental care, and several mental health services. Local media include the ''Cairo Citizen'' weekly newspaper. Radio station [[WKRO (AM)|WKRO]] is licensed to Cairo.

In April 2019, plans to demolish the Elmwood and McBride complexes was announced and scheduled to be completed by September 2019.<ref>{{Cite web |last=News 3 |date=2019-04-02 |title=Elmwood, McBride complexes coming down in Cairo |url=https://www.wsiltv.com/news/elmwood-mcbride-complexes-coming-down-in-cairo/article_949701bc-cc07-56e5-8be8-1b736d974077.html |access-date=2025-07-03 |website=WSIL-TV |language=en}}</ref> On May 3, 2019, demolition began of the complexes.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-05-03 |title=Demolition of Cairo’s Elmwood and McBride housing developments begins |url=https://www.kfvs12.com/2019/05/03/demolition-cairo-elmwood-mcbride-housing-developments-begins/ |access-date=2025-07-03 |website=KFVS |language=en}}</ref>

As of 2024, the city of Cairo is largely abandoned due to the severe floods, racial tensions, financial disparage, and lack of a viable population.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Staats |first=Noah |date=2023-06-13 |title=Cairo, Illinois Is An All But Abandoned Ghost Town: What To Know |url=https://www.thetravel.com/why-was-cairo-illinois-abandoned/ |access-date=2025-07-03 |website=TheTravel |language=en}}</ref> The city had 1,506 residents as of 2024.<ref name=":0" /> In 2023, the first [[grocery store]] since 2015 was opened in the city.<ref name=":0" /> Cairo's Head Start, a preschool program, was also shut down in 2024.<ref name=":0" />

==Geography==
[[File:CairoIL from space annotated.jpg|thumb|right|Cairo at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers]]

Cairo is located at the confluence of the [[Ohio River]] with the Mississippi, near [[Mounds, Illinois]]. The elevation above [[sea level]] is {{convert|315|ft}}. The [[List of U.S. states by elevation|lowest point]] in the state of Illinois is located in Cairo at the [[Mississippi River]].

According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Cairo has a total area of {{convert|9.11|sqmi|km2|2}}, of which {{convert|6.99|sqmi|km2|2}} (or 76.72%) is land and {{convert|2.12|sqmi|km2|2}} (or 23.28%) is water.<ref name="gaz2021">{{Cite web |title=Gazetteer Files |url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html |access-date=2022-06-29 |website=Census.gov}}</ref>

===Climate===
The city of Cairo has a [[humid subtropical climate]] (Köppen ''Cfa'') and has many characteristics of a city in the [[Upper South]]. Summers are hot and humid, with a daily average in July of {{convert|79|°F|1}} and temperatures reaching {{convert|90|°F|0}} on an average of 40 days annually. Winters are generally cool with mild periods, though extended stretches of cold can occur. Cairo's winter is typically mild by Illinois standards, as the January daily average is {{convert|34|°F|1}}. Precipitation is spread relatively uniformly throughout the year. On average, Cairo's low elevation and proximity to the [[Mississippi River|Mississippi]] and [[Ohio River|Ohio]] rivers prevent strong winter lows and plunging temperatures; however, during the summer months, those similar features retain heat and humidity, creating muggy conditions.

{{Weather box
|location = Cairo, Illinois (1991–2020 normals)
|single line = Y
|Jan record high F = 75
|Feb record high F = 77
|Mar record high F = 85
|Apr record high F = 94
|May record high F = 98
|Jun record high F = 106
|Jul record high F = 108
|Aug record high F = 103
|Sep record high F = 103
|Oct record high F = 92
|Nov record high F = 82
|Dec record high F = 79
|year record high F = 108
|Jan high F = 43.4
|Feb high F = 48.2
|Mar high F = 58.6
|Apr high F = 69.9
|May high F = 78.3
|Jun high F = 85.9
|Jul high F = 88.7
|Aug high F = 87.8
|Sep high F = 81.7
|Oct high F = 70.9
|Nov high F = 57.9
|Dec high F = 46.7
|year high F = 68.2
|Jan mean F = 34.7
|Feb mean F = 38.9
|Mar mean F = 48.1
|Apr mean F = 58.7
|May mean F = 68.0
|Jun mean F = 76.0
|Jul mean F = 79.2
|Aug mean F = 77.6
|Sep mean F = 70.6
|Oct mean F = 59.3
|Nov mean F = 47.6
|Dec mean F = 38.4
|year mean F = 58.1
|Jan low F = 26.0
|Feb low F = 29.5
|Mar low F = 37.6
|Apr low F = 47.5
|May low F = 57.7
|Jun low F = 66.1
|Jul low F = 69.6
|Aug low F = 67.5
|Sep low F = 59.6
|Oct low F = 47.7
|Nov low F = 37.4
|Dec low F = 30.1
|year low F = 48.0
|Jan record low F = −12
|Feb record low F = −5
|Mar record low F = 6
|Apr record low F = 25
|May record low F = 36
|Jun record low F = 45
|Jul record low F = 56
|Aug record low F = 50
|Sep record low F = 39
|Oct record low F = 27
|Nov record low F = 5
|Dec record low F = −9
|year record low F = −12
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 3.80
|Feb precipitation inch = 3.88
|Mar precipitation inch = 4.85
|Apr precipitation inch = 5.38
|May precipitation inch = 5.08
|Jun precipitation inch = 4.37
|Jul precipitation inch = 4.10
|Aug precipitation inch = 3.18
|Sep precipitation inch = 3.51
|Oct precipitation inch = 4.14
|Nov precipitation inch = 4.46
|Dec precipitation inch = 4.25
|year precipitation inch = 51.00
|Jan snow inch = 3.1
|Feb snow inch = 2.4
|Mar snow inch = 1.6
|Apr snow inch = 0
|May snow inch = 0
|Jun snow inch = 0
|Jul snow inch = 0
|Aug snow inch = 0
|Sep snow inch = 0
|Oct snow inch = 0
|Nov snow inch = 0.3
|Dec snow inch = 1.1
|year snow inch = 8.6
|Jan sun = 144.4
|Feb sun = 150.5
|Mar sun = 198.0
|Apr sun = 238.8
|May sun = 277.8
|Jun sun = 307.4
|Jul sun = 318.9
|Aug sun = 300.8
|Sep sun = 242.4
|Oct sun = 216.9
|Nov sun = 139.3
|Dec sun = 125.4
|year sun = 2660.6
|Jan percentsun = 47
|Feb percentsun = 50
|Mar percentsun = 53
|Apr percentsun = 60
|May percentsun = 63
|Jun percentsun = 70
|Jul percentsun = 71
|Aug percentsun = 72
|Sep percentsun = 65
|Oct percentsun = 62
|Nov percentsun = 46
|Dec percentsun = 42
|year percentsun =
|source 1 = NOAA (1991–2020 temperature and precipitation normals, sun 1961–1987)<ref name=NOAA>{{cite web
| url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USW00093809&format=pdf
| title = Station: Cairo 3N, IL
| work = U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991–2020)
| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
| access-date = July 26, 2021}}</ref><ref name="NOAA DOSSIER">{{cite web |url=ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/TABLES/REG_IV/US/GROUP1/00111166.TXT |title=Cairo/WSO City IL Climate Normals 1961–1987 |publisher=[[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031220744/ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/TABLES/REG_IV/US/GROUP1/00111166.TXT |archive-date=2020-10-31 |url-status=dead |access-date=December 10, 2013}}</ref>
|source 2 = Western Regional Climate Center (snow normals 1948–2012),<ref name=WRCC>{{cite web |url=http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?il1166 |title=General Climate Summary Tables |publisher=Western Regional Climate Center |access-date=February 28, 2013}}</ref> The Weather Channel (extremes) <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USIL0168 |title=Climate Statistics for Cairo, Illinois |access-date=March 23, 2012}}</ref>
|date=April 2012}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1850= 242
|1860= 2188
|1870= 6267
|1880= 9011
|1890= 10324
|1900= 12566
|1910= 14548
|1920= 15203
|1930= 13532
|1940= 14407
|1950= 12123
|1960= 9348
|1970= 6277
|1980= 5931
|1990= 4846
|2000= 3632
|2010= 2831
|2020= 1733
|footnote=[https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html Decennial US Census]
}}

===2020 census===
''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.''
{| class="wikitable"
|+'''Cairo racial composition'''<br /> (''NH = Non-Hispanic'')<ref>{{Cite web |title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US1710383&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2 |access-date=2022-03-07 |website=data.census.gov}}</ref>
!Race
!Number
!Percentage
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] (NH)
|434
|25.04%
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] (NH)
|1,193
|68.84%
|-
|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] (NH)
|5
|0.29%
|-
|Some Other Race (NH)
|5
|0.29%
|-
|[[Multiracial Americans|Mixed/Multi-Racial]] (NH)
|76
|4.39%
|-
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]]
|20
|1.15%
|-
|'''Total'''
|'''1,733'''
|
|}
As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=1600000US1710383 |access-date=2022-06-28 |website=data.census.gov}}</ref> there were 1,733 people, 828 households, and 377 families residing in the city. The population density was {{Convert|190.29|PD/sqmi|PD/km2}}. There were 1,036 housing units at an average density of {{Convert|113.76|/sqmi|/km2}}. The racial makeup of the city was 25.33% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 68.96% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.40% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.63% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 4.67% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 1.15% of the population.

There were 828 households, out of which 18.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 23.07% were married couples living together, 20.29% had a female householder with no husband present, and 54.47% were non-families. 52.29% of all households were made up of individuals, and 23.55% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.42 and the average family size was 2.16.

The city's age distribution consisted of 21.7% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 16.9% from 25 to 44, 28.8% from 45 to 64, and 23.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $27,661, and the median income for a family was $31,280. Males had a median income of $14,464 versus $21,188 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $19,661. About 32.9% of families and 36.2% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 72.1% of those under age 18 and 14.2% of those age 65 or over.

===2010 census===
As of the census of 2010, there were 2,831 people, 1,268 households, and 677 families residing in the city. There were 1,599 housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 69.6% Black or African American, 27.9% White, less than 0.1% Native American, less than 0.1% Asian, less than 0.1% Pacific Islander, less than 0.1% from other races, and 2.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were less than 0.1% of the population.

There were 1,268 households, of which 26.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 21.2% were married couples living together, 28.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.6% were non-families. 43.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 3.00.

The distribution of the population by age was 31.6% 19 or under, 6.3% from 20 to 24, 19.2% from 25 to 44, 26.2% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% 65 or older. The median age was 36.9 years.

The median income for a household in the city was $16,682, and the median income for a family was $31,507. Males working full-time, year-round had a median income of $37,750 versus $21,917 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,461. About 33.0% of families and 44.2% of the population were living below the poverty line, including 71.7% of those under the age of 18 and 20.6% of those ages 65 and older.

===2000 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref> of 2000, there were 3,632 people, 1,561 households, and 900 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|515.1|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 1,885 housing units at an average density of 103.2 per km{{sup|2}} (267.3 per sq mi). The racial makeup of the city was 35.93% [[Race and ethnicity in the United States Census|white]], 61.70% [[Race and ethnicity in the United States Census|black or African American]], 0.08% [[Race and ethnicity in the United States Census|Native American]], 0.72% [[Race and ethnicity in the United States Census|Asian]], 0.03% [[Race and ethnicity in the United States Census|Pacific Islander]], 0.36% from [[Race and ethnicity in the United States Census|other races]], and 1.18% from two or more races. [[Race and ethnicity in the United States Census|Hispanic]] or [[Race and ethnicity in the United States Census|Latino]] of any race were 0.74% of the population.

There were 1,561 households, out of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 29.3% were married couples living together, 25.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.3% were non-families. 39.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 3.08.

The distribution of the population by age was 30.4% under 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 22.0% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% who were 65 or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 79.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 70.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $21,607, and the median income for a family was $28,242. Males had a median income of $28,798 versus $18,125 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $16,220. About 27.1% of families and 33.5% of the population were living below the poverty line, including 47.0% of those under the age of 18 and 20.9% of those ages 65 and older.

==Education==
The city is served by [[Cairo Community Unit School District 1]]. Based on U.S. Census estimates, in 2008 the Cairo school district had the highest percentage in Illinois of children in poverty, 60.6%. This is the fifteenth highest percentage of any city in the United States.<ref>[http://www.suntimes.com/news/education/734613,CST-NWS-poorskul10.article "If you're poor, you have to work harder... nothing is fair"], ''Chicago Sun-Times'', January 10, 2008 {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080111010026/http://www.suntimes.com/news/education/734613,CST-NWS-poorskul10.article |date=2008-01-11}}</ref> The district has one elementary school, Emerson Elementary School. Middle and high school students attend Cairo Junior/Senior High School. Bennett Elementary School closed in 2010.<ref>[http://www.kfvs12.com/story/12087067/bennett-elementary-to-close-in-cairo "Bennett Elementary to Close in Cairo"], KFVS 12, March 4, 2010 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160510045639/http://www.kfvs12.com/story/12087067/bennett-elementary-to-close-in-cairo |date=May 10, 2016}}</ref>

The [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Belleville]] formerly operated St. Joseph Grade School.<ref name=CathSchProfile>{{cite web |url=http://www.diobelle.org/schools/index.html |title=Schools |publisher=[[Roman Catholic Diocese of Belleville]] |date=2001-08-18 |accessdate=2022-02-23 |quote=Cairo St. Joseph Grade School 421 Cross Street Cairo, IL 62914 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010818132946/http://www.diobelle.org/schools/index.html |archive-date=18 August 2001 |url-status=dead}}</ref> It was previously [[K–12]],<ref name=Quirin>{{cite news|last=Quirin|first=Liz|title=End of an Era as Catholic School Closed at St. Joseph's in Cairo|newspaper=[[The Messenger (Belleville, Illinois)|The Messenger]]|place=[[Belleville, Illinois]]|date=2003-08-01|pages=9, 17}} – [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/96309786/ Clipping of first] and [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/96309809/ of second page] at [[Newspapers.com]].</ref> but by 2001 it had only elementary grades.<ref name=CathSchProfile/> Enrollment was over 130 during the 1976–1977 school year. This figure dropped to 63 in 2000, and then 25, including seven Catholic students, in the 2002–2003 school year. The school closed in 2003.<ref name=Quirin/>

[[Shawnee Community College]] opened an extension center in Cairo in January 2019.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Parker |first1=Molly |title=Shawnee Community College plants roots in Cairo with opening of new extension center |url=https://thesouthern.com/news/local/education/shawnee-community-college-plants-roots-in-cairo-with-opening-of-new-extension-center/article_dc7071fa-f7f8-5003-adea-5914a5e2c45c.html |access-date=5 July 2020 |work=The Southern Illinoisan |date=8 January 2019 |language=en}}</ref>

==Government==
Cairo is in [[Illinois's 12th congressional district]] and is represented in Congress by Republican [[Mike Bost]].

==Transportation==
[[File:Cairo, IL Ohio River waterfront.jpg|thumb|The Ohio River waterfront in Cairo. Although no longer a significant hub, the city still sees commercial activity on its riverbanks.]]
[[Amtrak]]'s Chicago–New Orleans ''[[City of New Orleans (train)|City of New Orleans]]'' served Cairo until October 25, 1987; since then, its closest stops to Cairo are [[Carbondale, Illinois]], {{convert|53|mi|km}} to the north, and [[Fulton, Kentucky]], {{convert|43|mi|km}} to the south.<ref>{{Sanders-Heartland}}, p. 105</ref>

Major highways include:
* {{jct|state=IL|I|57}}
* {{jct|state=IL|US|62}}
* {{jct|state=IL|US|60}}
* {{jct|state=IL|US|51}}
* {{jct|state=IL|IL|3}}

Cairo's location on a spit of land that lies between the Mississippi and Ohio rivers made [[overlap (road)|overlapping]] US 60 and 62 briefly through Illinois more practical than directly connecting [[Missouri]] and [[Kentucky]].

[[Cairo Regional Airport]] provides [[general aviation]] service to the city.

The closest airports with regular service are [[Barkley Regional Airport]] and [[Cape Girardeau Regional Airport]]. The airports are approximately 23 miles and 26 miles away, respectively.

==Landmarks and points of interest==
[[File:Magnolia Manor.jpg|thumb|right|[[Magnolia Manor (Cairo, Illinois)|Magnolia Manor]]]]
[[Magnolia Manor (Cairo, Illinois)|Magnolia Manor]] is a [[Reconstruction era|postbellum]] manor, built by the Cairo businessman Charles A. Galigher in 1869. It is a 14-room red brick house which features double walls intended to keep out the city's famous dampness with their ten-inch airspaces. Inside the home are many original, 19th-century furnishings. It has been listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] since December 17, 1969.<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref> The house is operated as a Victorian period [[historic house museum]] by the Cairo Historical Association.

[[File:Cairo Illinois 1997 USGS.jpg|thumb|1997 aerial view of Cairo, with [[Ohio River]] in foreground, [[Mississippi River]] in background]]
Other points of interest include:
* [[Fort Defiance (Illinois)|Fort Defiance Park]]
* Gem Theatre<ref>{{cite web |url=http://cinematreasures.org/theater/2668/ |title=Gem Theatre in Cairo, IL |publisher=Cinema Treasures |access-date=February 16, 2013}}</ref>
* ''The Hewer'', a 1902 [[public sculpture]] by [[George Gray Barnard]]
* Cairo Custom House & Post Office<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.southernmostillinoishistory.net/customhouse.html |title=customhouse |publisher=Southernmost Illinois History |access-date=February 16, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120808002614/http://www.southernmostillinoishistory.net/customhouse.html |archive-date=August 8, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* ''The Riverlore''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pilotlight2000.com/historic/riverl.htm |title=Riverlore, Cairo IL, Pilot Light 2000 Historic Page |publisher=Pilotlight2000.com |access-date=February 16, 2013}}</ref>
* A. B. Safford Memorial Library<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pilotlight2000.com/historic/library.htm |title=Cairo Public Library, Cairo IL, Pilot Light 2000 Historic Page |publisher=Pilotlight2000.com |date=May 5, 1985 |access-date=February 16, 2013}}</ref>
* Millionaire's Row, and the Riverlore Mansion, and Magnolia Manor

==In popular culture==
* Cairo was the original destination for Huck and Jim in [[Mark Twain]]'s ''[[The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn]]'', as they planned to paddle up the Ohio River to obtain freedom for Jim. They drifted past Cairo by mistake and ended up in the slave state of Arkansas instead. Twain also noted Cairo in his non-fiction ''Life on the Mississippi''.<ref>{{cite web |author=Mark Twain |url=http://www.lhup.edu/~dsimanek/twain.htm |title=Life on the Mississippi 173–176 (1883) |publisher=Lhup.edu |access-date=February 16, 2013}}</ref>
* [[Charles Dickens]] visited Cairo in 1842 and was unimpressed with what he saw as a disease-ridden backwater. It became the model for the town of Eden in his 1843–44 novel ''[[Martin Chuzzlewit]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.britannica.com/facts/5/278841/Martin-Chuzzlewit-as-discussed-in-Cairo-Illinois-United-States |title=Martin Chuzzlewit – as discussed in Cairo, Illinois, United States |access-date=August 16, 2012}}</ref>
* [[Stephen Foster]] in 1850 wrote and published a popular minstrel song called "Way Down in Ca-i-ro"<ref>{{cite book |last=O'Connell |first=JoAnne |year=2016 |title=The Life and Songs of Stephen Foster: A Revealing Portrait of the Forgotten Man Behind 'Swanee River,' 'Beautiful Dreamer,' and 'My Old Kentucky Home' |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ooc1DQAAQBAJ |location=New York City |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |page=157 |isbn=9781442253865}}</ref>
* The musician [[Stace England]] produced a concept music CD called ''[[Greetings From Cairo, Illinois]]'' (2005), inspired by the city's turbulent history.<ref>{{cite news |last=Jones |first=Rachel |title=Singer Evokes Turbulent History of Cairo, Ill. |newspaper=National Public Radio |date=January 29, 2006 |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5031980 |access-date=September 19, 2009 |quote=England, 43, grew up on a Wabash River farm in central Illinois. Cairo, pronounced 'Care-O', didn't became a creative inspiration for him until he started writing music and playing the guitar in the late 1980s.}}</ref>
* The town serves as a plot point in [[Neil Gaiman]]'s 2001 novel ''[[American Gods]]''.<ref>{{Cite book |author=Gaiman, Neil |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/1369840573 |title=American Gods |year=2023 |publisher=Dark Horse Comics |isbn=978-1-5067-3499-6 |oclc=1369840573}}</ref>

==Sports==
* Cairo had its own minor-league baseball team (variously known as the [[Cairo Egyptians|Egyptians]], Champions, Giants and [[Cairo Dodgers|Dodgers]]) in the [[Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League]] in 1903–06, 1911–14, 1922–24 and 1946–50.
* The [[St. Louis Cardinals]] of the [[National League (baseball)|National League]] held their annual spring training camp in Cairo from 1943 to 1945, due to travel restrictions imposed by [[Major League Baseball]] during World War II.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://retrosimba.com/2013/03/02/why-the-cardinals-chose-cairo-ill-for-spring-training/|title=Why the Cardinals chose Cairo, Ill., for spring training|date=2013-03-02|website=RetroSimba|language=en|access-date=2019-04-03}}</ref>
* The town of Cairo is known for its love of basketball. In 2017, the Cairo Pilots high school basketball team came close to their first state championship, finishing 23–6 for the season. Finishing within four games of a state championship was especially noteworthy given the school's size. Enrollment in fall 2017 was only 97 students.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2018/sports/as-cairo-illinois-reckons-with-public-housing-crisis-basketball-hangs-on/|title=Ben Carson called this small Illinois town a 'dying community.' Its people, and basketball, are hanging on.|last1=Dougherty|first1=Jesse|last2=Hutson|first2=Boswell|date=May 2, 2018|newspaper=Washington Post|language=en|access-date=2018-05-04}}</ref>

==Notable people==
{{Main|List of people from Cairo, Illinois}}

==See also==
* [[Illinois in the Civil War]]
* [[List of cities and towns along the Ohio River]]
* [[Steamboats of the Mississippi]]
* {{USS|Cairo|1861|6}}

==References==

===Notes===
{{reflist|30em}}

===Further reading===
'''Published in the 19th century'''
{{refbegin}}
* {{Cite book |publisher=J.H. Colton |location=New York |title=The Traveller's Directory for Illinois |author=John Mason Peck |author-link=John Mason Peck |date=1839 |oclc=29129415 |chapter-url=https://archive.org/stream/travellersdirect00inpeck#page/84/mode/2up |chapter=City of Cairo and Canal Company|ol=24162626M }}
* {{Cite book |publisher=George W. Hawes |location=Chicago, Ill |title=Illinois State Gazetteer and Business Directory for 1858 and 1859 |date=1858 |oclc=4757260 |chapter-url=https://archive.org/stream/illinoisstategaz00hawe#page/24/mode/2up |chapter=Cairo|ol=24140361M }}
* {{Citation |publisher=Printed by B. Thurston |location=Portland [Me.] |title=The past, present and future of the city of Cairo, in North America |author=Cairo City Property (Cairo, Ill.) |date=1858 |oclc=13619400|ol=271527M |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OJYUAAAAYAAJ}}
* {{Cite book |publisher=J.C.W. Bailey |location=Chicago |title=Illinois State Gazetteer and Business Directory, for the Years 1864–5 |date=1864 |oclc=6867103 |chapter-url=https://archive.org/stream/illinoisstategaz00bail#page/170/mode/2up |chapter=Cairo|ol=7082742M }}
* {{Cite book |publisher=O.L. Baskin & Co. |location=Chicago|title=History of Alexander, Union and Pulaski Counties, Illinois |date=1883 |oclc=8695008 |chapter-url=https://archive.org/stream/historyofalexand01perr#page/n15/mode/2up |chapter=Part 1: Cairo|ol=6608394M }}
{{refend}}

'''Published in the 20th century'''
{{refbegin}}
* {{Cite book |publisher=R. R. Donnelley & Sons |location=Chicago |title=A history of the city of Cairo, Illinois |author=John McMurray Lansden |date=1910 |oclc=3520487|ol=13506555M }} [https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=dvJoPvC5qp4C&oi=fnd&pg=PA13&dq=%22+Cairo%22+Illinois%22&ots=naUCCMkja8&sig=aYBhSkO2wvEZlY5oK-MEPx9mazU online]
* {{Cite book |publisher=Cairo Public Library |location=Cairo |author=Federal Writers' Project (Illinois) |title=Cairo guide |date=1938|ol=18085990M }}

* Pitkin, William A. "When Cairo Was Saved for the Union." ''Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society'' 51.3 (1958): 284-305. [https://www.jstor.org/stable/40189620 online]

* Good, Paul. ''Cairo, Illinois: Racism at Floodtide'' (US Commission on Civil Rights, 1973). [https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=tZAxCD3iccEC&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&dq=%22+Cairo%22+Illinois%22&ots=SV16rX2rdh&sig=dVvGVQvJvOEETm_AAiN018tS1rg online]

* Hays, Christopher K. "The African American Struggle for Equality and Justice in Cairo, Illinois, 1865-1900." ''Illinois Historical Journal'' 90.4 (1997): 265-284. [https://www.jstor.org/stable/40193185 online]

'''Published in the 21st century'''
* Perry, Christopher W. "Civil rights, black power, and racial tension in Cairo, Illinois: a northern powder keg in southern clothing." (Unpublished thesis, U Tennessee, 2001). [https://trace.tennessee.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=11385&context=utk_gradthes online]

* Olson, Kenneth R., and Lois Wright Morton. "The effects of 2011 Ohio and Mississippi river valley flooding on Cairo, Illinois, area." ''Journal of Soil and Water Conservation'' 67.2 (2012): 42A-46A. [https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.2489/jswc.67.2.42A online]

* Pimblott, Kerry. ''Faith in black power: religion, race, and resistance in Cairo, Illinois'' (University Press of Kentucky, 2017) [https://uknowledge.uky.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1006&context=upk_cr online].

{{refend}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Cairo, Illinois}}
{{Wikisource|Cairo}}
* [http://www.betweentworivers.net/ Between Two Rivers], a feature-length documentary about Cairo
* [https://abandonedonline.net/location/cairo/ Cairo, Illinois] at Abandoned
* [https://www.angelfire.com/wi/wisconsin42nd/cairo.html History of Cairo] by David Mascitelli
* [https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/cairo-illinois? Abandoned Town of Cairo, Illinois], at Atlas Obscura

{{Prone to spam|date=April 2012}}



{{Cairo, Illinois}}
{{Alexander County, Illinois}}
{{Southern-Illinois}}
{{Illinois county seats}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Cairo, Illinois| ]]
[[Category:Cape Girardeau–Jackson metropolitan area]]
[[Category:Cities in Illinois]]
[[Category:County seats in Illinois]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1837]]
[[Category:Cities in Alexander County, Illinois]]
[[Category:Illinois populated places on the Mississippi River]]
[[Category:Illinois populated places on the Ohio River]]
[[Category:Illinois in the American Civil War]]
[[Category:Lowest points of U.S. states]]
[[Category:1837 establishments in Illinois]]
[[Category:Majority-minority cities and towns in Alexander County, Illinois]]

Paixhans gun

2025-09-26T05:24:49Z

68.107.135.104: /* Mechanism */ Link the mention to the actual naval battle. Fixing someone's extreme laziness.

{{Infobox weapon
| is_artillery = yes
| image = PaixhansCanonImage.jpg
| image_size = 300
| caption = Paixhans naval shell gun. [[Musée de la Marine]].
| name = Paixhans gun<br />(''Canon Paixhans'')
| type = [[Naval artillery]]
| origin = France
| service =
| used_by = France, the United States, [[Russian Empire|Russia]]
| wars = [[Second Opium War]], [[Anglo-French blockade of the Río de la Plata]], [[Mexican–American War]], [[Second Schleswig War]], [[Crimean War]], [[American Civil War]]
| designer = Henri-Joseph Paixhans
| design_date = 1823
| manufacturer =
| production_date =
| number =
| weight = {{convert|3400|kg|lbs|abbr=on}}
| length = {{convert|2.85|m|ft|abbr=on}} <ref name="books.google.com">{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1w8DAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA487|title=Penny Cyclopaedia of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge: Second Supplement|date=25 February 1858|publisher=Knight & Company|via=Google Books}}</ref>
| part_length =
| width =
| height =
| crew =
| cartridge = {{convert|30|kg|lb|abbr=on}} shell
| caliber = {{convert|220|mm|in|abbr=on}}<ref name="books.google.com"/>
| action =
| velocity = {{convert|400|m/s|ft/s|abbr=on}} 
| range =
| max_range =
| feed =
| sights =
| breech =
| recoil =
| carriage =
| elevation =
| traverse =
}}
The '''Paixhans gun''' (French: ''Canon Paixhans'', {{IPA|fr|pɛksɑ̃}}) was the first [[naval artillery|naval gun]] designed to fire [[Explosive shell|explosive shells]]. It was developed by the French general [[Henri-Joseph Paixhans]] in 1822–1823. The design furthered the evolution of [[naval artillery]] into the modern age. Its use presaged the end of wood as the preferred material in naval warships, and the rise of the [[ironclad]].

Explosive shells had been used in ground warfare and against stationary targets, but not in high-velocity, flat-trajectory guns due to safety concerns. Henri-Joseph Paixhans developed a delaying mechanism that allowed explosive shells to be safely fired in high-powered guns, first demonstrated in trials in 1824. The French Navy adopted the first Paixhans guns in 1841, and the weapons eventually saw use in the 1840s by France, Britain, Russia, and the United States. The guns' effectiveness in naval combat was demonstrated in battles such as [[Battle of Veracruz (1838)|Veracruz in 1838]], [[Naval Battle of Campeche|Campeche in 1843]], and [[Battle of Sinop|Sinop in 1853]].

Although the idea was innovative, metallurgy at the time had not advanced enough for safe operation, leading to catastrophic failures in naval guns. Further developments by John A. Dahlgren and Thomas Jackson Rodman improved the weapon for both solid shot and shell use.

==Background==
Explosive shells had long been in use in ground warfare (in [[howitzer]]s and [[Mortar (weapon)|mortars]]) and on [[bomb vessel]]s against stationary targets, but they were fired only at high angles and with relatively low velocities. The shells of that time were inherently dangerous to handle, and no method had been found to safely fire the explosive shells with the high power and flatter trajectory of a high-velocity gun.

However, before the advent of radar and modern optical controlled firing, high trajectories were not practical for ship-to-ship combat. Such combat essentially required flat-trajectory guns in order to have a reasonable chance of hitting the target. Therefore, ship-to-ship combat had consisted for centuries of encounters between flat-trajectory cannons using inert cannonballs, which could inflict only local damage, even on wooden hulls.<ref name="Y8CNoQqSywC p.193">{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/ofarmsmenhisto00ocon|url-access=registration|page=[https://archive.org/details/ofarmsmenhisto00ocon/page/193 193]|title=Of Arms and Men: A History of War, Weapons, and Aggression|first=Robert L.|last=O'Connell|date=19 April 1990|publisher=Oxford University Press|access-date=18 January 2017|via=Internet Archive}}</ref>

==Mechanism==
Paixhans advocated using flat-trajectory shell guns against warships in 1822 in his ''Nouvelle force maritime et artillerie''.<ref name="H4j8abhD1cC p.235-236">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iH4j8abhD1cC&pg=PA235|title=Artillery: An Illustrated History of Its Impact|first=Jeff|last=Kinard|date=1 January 2007|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=9781851095568 |access-date=18 January 2017|via=Google Books}}</ref>

Paixhans developed a delaying mechanism that, for the first time, allowed shells to be fired safely in high-powered flat-trajectory guns. The effect of explosive shells lodging into wooden hulls and then detonating was potentially devastating. Henri-Joseph Paixhans first demonstrated this in trials against the two-decker {{lang|fr|[[French ship Pacificateur (1811)|Pacificateur]]}} in 1824, in which he successfully broke up the ship.<ref name="Y8CNoQqSywC p.193"/> Two prototype Paixhans guns had been cast in 1823 and 1824 for this test. Paixhans reported the results in {{lang|fr|Experiences faites sur une arme nouvelle}}.<ref name="H4j8abhD1cC p.235-236"/> The shells had a fuze that ignited automatically when the gun was fired; they lodged in the wooden hull of the target, and exploded a moment later:

{{Blockquote|The shells which produced those very extensive ravages upon the ''Pacificator'' hulk in the experiments made at Brest, in 1821 and 1824, upon the evidences of which the French naval shell system was founded, were loaded shells, having fuzes attached, which, ignited by the explosion of the discharge in the gun, continued to burn for a time somewhat greater than that of the estimated flight, and then exploded; thus producing the maximum effect which any shell is capable of producing on a ship.|author=[[Sir Howard Douglas]]|source=''A Treatise on Naval Gunnery''<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_PK50sbOOfjUC|page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_PK50sbOOfjUC/page/n310 297]|title=A Treatise on Naval Gunnery|first=Howard|last=Douglas|date=1 January 1855|publisher=J. Murray|access-date=18 January 2017|via=Internet Archive}}</ref>}}

The first Paixhans guns for the [[French Navy]] were made in 1841. The barrel of the guns weighed about ({{convert|10,000|lb|abbr=on}}), and proved accurate to about ({{convert|2|mi|abbr=on}}). In the 1840s, France, Britain, Russia, and the United States adopted the new naval guns.<ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/steam6.htm|title=Armament|first=John|last=Pike|access-date=18 January 2017}}</ref>

The effect of the guns in an operational context was first demonstrated during the actions at [[Battle of Veracruz (1838)|Veracruz]] in 1838, at [[Naval Battle of Campeche|Campeche]] in 1843, [[Battle of Eckernförde|Eckernförde]] in 1849 during the [[First war of Schleswig|Danish–Prussian War]], and especially at the [[Battle of Sinop]] in 1853 during the [[Crimean War]]. The [[Naval Battle of Campeche]] made history because it was the first time both sides used explosive shells and the only time sailing ships defeated steamers.{{citation needed|date=October 2015}}

[[File:Paixhans Shell and Sabot.jpg|thumb|Paixhans [[Shell (projectile)|shell]] with [[sabot (firearms)|sabot]]]]
According to the ''[[Penny Cyclopædia]]'' (1858):{{Long quote|date=February 2020}}

{{Blockquote|General Paixhans made important improvements in the construction of heavy ordnance, and also in the projectiles, in the carriages, and in the mode of working the guns. The Paixhans-guns are especially adapted for the projection of shells and hollow shot, and were first adopted in France about the year 1824. Similar pieces of ordnance have since been introduced into the British service. They are suitable either for ships of war, or for fortresses which defend coasts. The original Paixhans-gun was 9'4" long [{{cvt|9|ft|4|in|m|disp=out}}], and weighed nearly 74 [[Hundredweight|cwts]] [{{cvt|74|-Lcwt|kg|disp=out}}]. The bore was {{convert|22|cm|abbr=on}}. By judicious distribution of the metal it was so much strengthened about the chamber, or place of charge, that it could bear firing with solid shot weighing from 86 to 88 lbs [{{cvt|86|to(-)|88|lb|kg|disp=out}}], or with hollow shot weighing about 60 lbs [{{cvt|60|lb|kg|disp=out}}]. The charge varied from 10 lbs. 12 oz to 18 lbs [{{cvt|10|lb|12|oz|kg|disp=out|abbr=values}}–{{cvt|18|lb|kg|disp=out}}] of powder. General Paixhans was one of the first to recommend cylindro-conical projectiles, as having the advantage of encountering less resistance from the air than round balls, having a more direct flight, and striking the object aimed at with much greater force, when discharged from a piece of equal calibre, whether musket or great gun. As large ships of war, particularly three-decked ships, offer a mark which can hardly be missed, even at considerable distances, and as their wooden walls are so thick and strong that a shell projected horizontally could not pass through them, an explosion taking place would produce the destructive effects of springing a mine, and far exceeding those of a shell projected vertically, and acting by concussion or percussion.|''Penny Cyclopædia''<ref name="books.google.com"/>{{page needed|date=June 2025}}}}

==Development==
While the idea was notable in the advance of artillery, [[metallurgy]] had not advanced to the level needed for safe operation. The naval guns of this type were known for catastrophic failures: the chambers would burst in use. The long shells and large [[blackpowder]] charges needed to propel the shells put a stress on cast-iron cannon that often could not be contained. Further work by [[John A. Dahlgren]], and [[Thomas Jackson Rodman]] improved the weapon to use both solid shot and shell safely.<ref name="auto"/>

==Adoption==
===France===
[[File:Canon-Obusier-80lbs-22cm-Paixhans-No.4621.jpg|thumb|Paixhans 80lbs (22cm)]]
In 1827, the French navy ordered fifty large guns on the Paixhans model from the [[Ruelle Foundry]] and at Indret near [[Nantes]]. The gun chosen, the ''canon-obusier de 80'', was so called because it was of the {{convert|22|cm|abbr=on}} bore diameter which would have fired an 80-pound solid shot. The gun barrel weighed {{convert|3,600|kg|abbr=on}} and the bore was of {{convert|23|cm|abbr=on}} diameter and {{convert|2.8|m|abbr=on}} long, firing a shell weighing {{convert|23.12|kg|abbr=on}}. The guns were produced slowly and were tested afloat through the 1830s.<ref name=boudriot/><ref name=T_Adams/>

They formed a small part of the armament on larger ships, with only two or four guns being carried, although on smaller, experimental steam vessels they, and the much larger ''canon-obusier de 150'' of {{convert|27|cm|abbr=on}} bore, were proportionately more important. The [[paddle steamer]] ''Météore'', for example, carried three ''canon-obusier de 80'' pieces and six small [[carronades]] in 1833. Alongside the large guns which Paixhans had called for, the French navy also used a smaller shell gun, of the same {{convert|164|mm|abbr=on}} bore as its standard solid shot-firing 30 pounder guns and carronades, in larger numbers with first rate ships carrying over 30 of these guns.<ref name=boudriot>{{citation |last=Boudriot |first=Jean |contribution=Vaisseaux et frégates sous la Restauration et la Monarchie de Juillet |title=Marine et technique au XIXe siècle |publisher=Service historique de la Marine/Institut d'histoire des conflits contemporains |year=1988 |pages=65 83 }}</ref><ref name=T_Adams>{{citation |last=Adams |first=Thomas |contribution=Artillerie et obus |title=Marine et technique au XIXe siècle |publisher=Service historique de la Marine/Institut d'histoire des conflits contemporains |year=1988 |pages=191 200 }}</ref>

===United States===
The [[United States Navy]] adopted the design, and equipped several ships with 8-inch guns of 63 and 55 cwt. in 1845, and later a 10-inch shell gun of 86 cwt. Paixhans guns were used on [[USS Constitution|USS ''Constitution'']] (four Paixhans guns) in 1842, under the command of [[Foxhall A. Parker, Sr.]], [[USS Constellation (1854)|USS ''Constellation'']] in 1854, and were also installed on the [[USS Mississippi (1841)|USS ''Mississippi'']] (10 Paixhans guns), and [[USS Susquehanna (1847)|USS ''Susquehanna'']] (six Paixhans guns) during [[Matthew Calbraith Perry|Commodore Perry]]'s mission to open Japan in 1853.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Millis |first=Walter |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PcGpkzmjFbgC&pg=PA88 |title=Arms and Men: A Study in American Military History |date=1981 |publisher=Rutgers University Press |isbn=978-0-8135-0931-0 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Walworth |first=Arthur |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bFyV2BZMCRwC&pg=PA21 |title=Black Ships Off Japan: The Story of Commodore Perry's Expedition |date=November 2008 |publisher=Read Books |isbn=978-1-4437-2850-8 |language=en}}</ref>

The [[Dahlgren gun]] was developed by [[John A. Dahlgren]] in 1846, with advantages over Paixhans guns:

[[File:USSKearsargeXIinchDahlgren.jpg|thumb|The [[Dahlgren gun]] was developed as an improvement of the Paixhans gun. View on deck of {{USS|Kearsarge|1861|6}} showing aft 11-inch Dahlgren shell gun.]]
{{Blockquote|Paixhans had so far satisfied naval men of the power of shell guns as to obtain their admission on shipboard; but by unduly developing the explosive element, he had sacrificed accuracy and range.... The difference between the system of Paixhans and my own was simply that Paixhans guns were strictly shell guns, and were not designed for shot, nor for great penetration or accuracy at long ranges. They were, therefore, auxiliary to, or associates of, the shot-guns. This made a mixed armament, was objectionable as such, and never was adopted to any extent in France... My idea was, to have a gun that should generally throw shells far and accurately, with the capacity to fire solid shot when needed. Also to compose the whole battery entirely of such guns.|Admiral John A. Dahlgren.<ref>''Admiral John A. Dahlgren: Father of United States Naval Ordance'' - Page 26 by Clarence Stewart Peterson, John Adolphus Bernard Dahlgren, 1945</ref>}}

===Russia===
The Russian Navy was the first to use the guns extensively in combat. At the [[Battle of Sinop]] in 1853, Russian ships attacked and annihilated a Turkish fleet with their Paixhans explosive shell guns.<ref name="kWA9BAAAQBAJ p.157">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kWA9BAAAQBAJ&pg=PT157|title=Sea Power: A Naval History, 2nd Edition|first=E. B.|last=Potter|date=15 June 2014|publisher=Naval Institute Press|isbn=9781612517674 |access-date=18 January 2017|via=Google Books}}</ref> The shells penetrated deep inside the wooden planking of Turkish ships, exploding and igniting the hulls.<ref name="Y8CNoQqSywC p.193"/> The defeat was instrumental in convincing the naval powers of the shell's efficacy, and hastened the development of the [[Ironclad warship|ironclad]] to counter it.<ref name="kWA9BAAAQBAJ p.157"/>

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

{{Artillery of France}}
{{French weapons of the 19th century}}
{{USCWWeapons}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Paixhans Gun}}
[[Category:Naval guns of France]]
[[Category:American Civil War artillery]]
[[Category:Military equipment introduced in the 1840s]]