The Cairo bulletin., 1904-04-01
BRIEF HISTORY
OF OUR COUNTY
From Its Early Settlement Up 10
Present Period.
THE HARDY PIONEERS
FLEEING FROM SEISMIC CONVuL.
SIoNS WERE FIRST SET.
TLERS-CREEk INDIAN
MASSACRE.

The following brief, but succient,
graphic history of Alexander county
from its settlement in ISl1-12 up to
the present day will prove of inter
est to the average reader and those
interested in the past, present and
future Of the county, and its metropo
| lls-Cairo
Alexander county, Illinois, occupies
the extreme southern point OF the
state, the Mississippi river forming
its western and southern boundary,
and the Cache and Ohio its eastern
and northern borders 1t has an area
of 232 square miles zone of the small
est counties OF the state.
pieneers from Tennessee. seeking
to escape the terrors of the earth.
quakes in New Madrid and vicinity.
in the winter Of 1871 1912, are be
| lieved to have been the earliest set
lers, One, William Bird, is said to
have been the first, but the date can
not be definitely stated Later, Mr.
Bird was joined by three brothers,
the claims of whom absorbed the del
ia and II received the name of Birds
Point In later years. the land across
the Mississippi river from the later
Cairo took this name. In 1872, there
occurred the Mounds massacre. Ten
ontlawed Greek Indians from Kentuc
ky crossed the river, armed with toma.
hawks and guns, obtained entrance TO
the homes of the first settlers at
Mounds. under plea Of hospitality
At a given signal. the fiends hutchered
the three families of Clark Phillips
and Kennedy, the only settlers at
that point, some eight miles north
Of the present site Of Cairo
In 1918, John G. Comyges. Shadrock
Bond and others entered some l,S00
acres above the claim Of the Birds.
under a charter from the Illinois terri
torial legislature, Later by tho
death of Mr. Conyges the tract revert.
cd to the territorial government.
The County of Alexander was or.
ganized in 1919, taking ils name from
Dr. William Alexander, the first ply
scian of the locality The County of
Alexander al that time included the
present counties Of Pulaski, Union and
others The first county seat was at
America, a short distance north Of
the present Mound city America was
incorporated in 1890. over 100000,
was realized from the sale of city
lots, and it soon became place Of
| 200 inhabitants, but became ex
tinct through the formation Of bar
in the Ohio river on which banks the
new county capital was founded.
Unity was the next county seat
the change being made from America
in 1885 BY reason Of the burning Of
the court house and records, the
county seat was moved to Thebes, and
later to Cairo, now the metropolis and
gate-eity Of Egypt
In 1895, the Cairo CITY and Canal
Co. was formed by Sidney Breese,
David j. Baker and Miles A. Gilbert.
charter was obtained in 1897, GOV.
ering by purchase and entry some
| ~ 600 acres Of the extreme southern
delta. including the former entries OF
The Bird brothers and the 1900 acres
Of the Bank company entry Of 1918.
The new corporation borrowed $4,000,
GOO from the Bank Of England TO
build levees. mills and factories In
1916 Thos s. Taylor became trustee
Of said mortgaged property and much
Of the property is still held by sue.
ceeding trustees under the name OF
the Cairo Trust Property 1t is
said the great Dickens invested in the
boom town of Cairo somewhere in
the i0's and became morose over the
want Of quick returns
The first house built in Cairo was
by one Peter Stapleton. the second
by John Howley
In lSiS the population Of Cairo was
but SO souls II had been much
greater, but high water and result
ant periods of malarial Hos perity
had killed or moved the greater nun
Der.
In 1851 the Illinois Central rail
way was given certain grants In the
locality for which that corporation
built certain substantial lovees.
IN 1858 occurred the last food
seriously affecting Cairo
In 1870. the population was G,2G7;
in 1900. 1866, in 1901. lGt47.
The climate Of this locality is that
of Richmond. Va The latitude IL
that Of Norfolk Va II is that part
of Illinois that goes away down TO
wards the heart Of Dixie Cairo is
imnortant as river town lis
lumber trade and interests are re-
markabe. II is fast becoming iob
hing center in grain products. provis
ions and groceries. -four hardware.
farming implements and dry goods
Cairo was important during thg
great Civil war. Here was modified
the great army that opened NJ the
Mississippi and cut the Confederacy