About the Project

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Portland, OR, United States
We are embarking on a project to document historical downtowns in America before they crumble. Many downtowns in former industrial towns and cities, such as Detroit, St. Louis, and Camden, NJ used to be booming industrial towns. Now storefronts stand abandoned and rotting, no one walks around and there are few cultural activities. We plan on photodocumenting large and small declining cities and towns alike, mostly in the Rust Belt and Texas. We are also interested in finding solutions that revitalize and restore these crumbling downtowns.

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Cairo

Cairo, Illinois.

Located at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers, this city has seen a population decline from it's peak population of over 15,000 to its present population of 2800. The result of such population loss and the diminishing importance as a river city has led to abandonment of it's downtown area. 

A tour through Google Streetview shows clearly the abandonment of the city's buildings. Cobbled streets and ornate architecture provide a glimpse into what must have been a thriving town. Interestingly, some buildings seemed to have collapsed, the rubble left in place. Perhaps the city doesn't have the resources to clear the fallen bricks and mortar. 

Here are some images from Google. I'm looking forward to exploring this forgotten downtown up close, hopefully gathering some information and photographs of the city as it once was.

The Gates of the City. Fortunately, several blocks of Downtown Cairo are listed on the NRHP.

The GEM theatre. Status unknown. Old theatres are, however, fascinating.

Modern ghost town

Rubble spills out into the streets.

Interesting architecture.


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