The Cairo bulletin., 1909-02-23
DESOTO FOUND A LAKE
On site Where now This City Stands
Company Acquired 1900
Acres in 1917 Sold
Lots.

II
I and twenty miles in length. Will
we may admit the existence OF
lake here. We are constrained by wha
we have personally olterved. Il
bring its waters into much narrowe
limits.
TO the harpy coincidence that tn,
Ohio and Mississippi Rivers both con
cluded to meet and mingle at this
point. we may ascribe the location
OF Cairo Early in the year 1917
while Illinois was yet a territory, the
value OF this coincidence was appre
ciated and certain men with more
enterprise than money. with more
faith in the gulibllty of the public
than practical sense of their own,
conceived the idea Of building here
city that should serve as the grand
commercial entrepot and business EN-.
porium OF the Mississippi Valley
They entered, under the credit sys-
TEN then prevailing 1900 acres of
land, and after securing a liberal
charter from the Territorial legisla
ture, commenced operation under the
name Of the City and Bank Company
of Cairo. II was this company that
originated the idea of the Illinois
Central Railroad They laid off about
zoo acres of their lands into town
lots. The streets Gall OF which We're
so feet in wi9th) ran parallel with
the Ohio river. with cross streets at
mtervJls of 500 feet. running at
right angles to the Mississippi Every
thirtieth block was set aside as n
public square The lots were 25xl20
feet, and the price was fixed by law
at $3.50 a lot. The applicant for
lot was required 10 deposit TO the
credit OF the Cairo bank, one,third
OF the purchase money At the ex.
piration of three months he was "a
deposit another third, and at the end
sf nine months ttfr- Enhance When
five hundred lots We're thus disposed
Jf, the bank was to be established |
and the lots pair for, were no dIsirib |
lted by the banks president and di |
rectors among the purchasers by lot |
tery. Fearing. as the projectors did |
hat Nonresident capitalists would |
-ush In and capture their prize, II /
was provided in the charter that no 4
person could secure title to more /
than ten lots. One-third of the 4
moneys arising from the sales of lots
was to constitute ] fund for the con.
5tructiol OF lcyeos. dykes, the build. /
ng Of public offices. Ind for orna-
menting marks AMI pubic grounds.
The balance was 70 form a eapitall
;tock for The baIk. which institution
vas authorized 10 issue cur eney. the
jleasnre Of the 3ire. icrs being the
'nly limit as to the amount.
But under such auspices Cairo did
Tot thrive. The country had not be-
come sufficiently ad' anced to call
or the proposed entrepot and EN-.
'oriunl.' or the public failed 10 al
'rccIate ire wonderfu! Opening" the
projectors had provided. Comegys.
he moving spirit of the enterprise
lied, his associates became discour-
ge6, the 1900 acres land reverted
o the government, and, thus, without
eaving a tangible trace of its opera.
ion, persisted the first corporation
hat essayed the building OF a city
I the junction of these rivers. II
Subsequently. William Bird enter.
d the extreme point, and, in theI
ear 1928. aided by his sons, John
nd Thompson. made the first i'm.
rovement at the mouth of the Ohio.
his Improvement was nothing more
han q log house about 25x30 feet.
rected upon mound of earth
brown up by Birds negroes, at the
ONT now embraced by the Cairo &
T. Louis Railroad Cnow the NJ. e O.
R) The locality took the name of
Birds Point" and, until the com.
lencement of operations in 1897, by
ne cairo City and Canal Company.
etained that designation.
About the year 1894, Breese. Gil.
ert, Swanwick and Baker re-entered
he lands that had reverted to the
overnment from the Cairo CITY and
ank Company. and subsequently,
ay about the year 1896 sold them
D the Cairo City and Canal Com.
any, which had then assumed a cor.
crate firm under special charter
rom the Illinois general assembly
In the month of February. 1887. the
eneral Improvement law went into
oree, and the state, having named an
PRECIPITATION of s3.5oO.G00 to aid In
he construction of the Illinois Cen
raj Railroad. work upon that great
Undertaking was commenced before
be close Of the year The commence.
tent of this work encouraged active :
perations on the part OF the Cairo
lily and Canal Company. d. B. Hol.
rock, its president. effected loan,