USA > Illinois > Alexander County > Alexander County profiles, a compilation of essays on Alexander County history > Part 7
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FORT DEFIANCE STATE PARK
By LESLIE PIERCEALL
Little do people know of our unique and interesting state park or the reason for its existence. Most people refer to it as "The Point." From its beginning as a Union stronghold until the end of the Civil War, Fort Defiance played a very important part in the success of the Union Army.
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The first man to conceive and build a fort at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi was Sieur Juchereau de St. Denis in 1702. It was over a century later that Fort Defiance was established to aid the Union Army in the War.
The movement toward Cairo in April, 1861, was part of a major operation to the South and West. Eleven days after firing on Fort Sumter, April 12, troops were garrisoned at Cairo in an old distillery building and ordered to block Confederate River traffic and guard the stronghold from seizure by the enemy.
On May 10, 1861, Cairo, Ill., was one great military camp known as Fort Prentiss, Col. B. M. Prentiss, who had been elected Brig. Gen., was in command of the camp. By June 1 the camp was almost in finished condition and was well on its way to being a fortress. Sur- rounding the camp were smaller armed camps commanding the levee approaches from all directions.
Camp Macalister, on the Ohio bend of the levee, guarded the Ford from surprise attacks upstream while Camp Smith on the Mississippi bend of the levee and Camp Haughtling three miles above guarded the fort from attacks by way of the Mississippi River.
By the last of June, a proud Stars and Stripes flew from the flag- staff of Camp Defiance. Black muzzles of cannon protected the har- bor from any attack throughout the war.
In September, 1861, General Prentiss was succeeded by Ulysses S. Grant, who brought with him several regiments to man the fort. In November the name was officially changed to Fort Oefiance.
Other important things took place in November. By then Grant, who was entrusted with the task of holding the area around South- eastern Missouri, had collected more than twenty thousand partially trained men.
During Grant's stay in Cairo (from September 1861 to February 1862) the Union Armies staged an attempt to dislodge the Confederates from Southeastern Missouri. The battle of Belmont-Columbus, Ky., saw the Union soldiers stand up to the Confederate forces with great success.
Navel Headquarters of the Western Flotilla maintained at Cairo's Fort Defiance during the four year struggle. Along with the Naval base an important telegraph station was located at the fort. Train- ing grounds for countless regiments of the Army were in use daily. Many thousands of men passed from Cairo on their way to their re- spective missions in the War.
Throughout the War Between the States, Fort Defiance was a blessing to the Union forces but a "thorn in the paw" to the Con- federates.
When hundreds of soldiers at Fort Defiance became ill with ma- laria, dysentery, typhoid, and smallpox, Mary B. Safford made a name for herself as the "Cairo Angel" by volunteering her services to help establish camp hospitals in order to care for the sick and wounded. "The Cairo Angel" helped to transfer soldiers from the battlefield to hospitals at the fort. She was the first woman to establish fort hos- pitals and then transfered the men to them.
After the War, guns stayed at Fort Defiance for some time, but being unused, the fort soon fell into decay.
Now there is left to Cairo no vestage of the original fort, but the name is proudly borne by the state park at the same confluence of the two great rivers, the Ohio and the Mississippi. The cooling shade trees,
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the ever present breeze, the changing moods of the mighty Mississippi, and the Ohio provide a pattern of day or night beauty. People are re- freshed by the setting of the rivers, unending fleets of river commerce great argosies of the air, and a large city of three States with sights of the two bridges.
Fort Defiance was dedicated by the Governor of Illinois, William Stratton, on Sunday, July 3, 1960. In his dedication speech, he praised the beauty of the new state park that has captured men's minds since he beginning of time, and he said that it was but fitting that such grandeur be shared by the people.
Today the "Old Fort"-or as it is known to us now "The Point," serves as a place to picnic or just relax in an atmosphere of cool, quiet peace with the two great rivers continually moving on their way to the Gulf.
1858-CAIRO INUNDATED By DONNA PROFILET
"The levee is broken-flee for your lives!" was the cry of the Cairo people on Saturday, June 13, 1858, when the levee on the Mississippi side of the town gave way.
For several days previous to this widespread disaster, it had been predicted by many who were familiar with the character of the levees, that the town was in constant danger. The people paid little atten- tion to these warnings because they had been lulled into a feeling of security by the fact that during the past 15 years they had escaped submersion. As a consequence, the flood came upon many of the people unexpectedly, leaving them only time to escape with their lives.
A force of 500 men were as soon as possible, placed upon what was known as the "Old Cross Levee", an embankment running from the Ohio to the Misssisippi in the upper portion of the city, with the hope that they would be able to fill up the openings which had been cut on the lines of the streets and stop the flood of this embankment. But the waters poured in so rapidly and came with such a strong current that this attempt was reluctanly but necessarily abondoned.
The poor women and children were seen wringing their hands and crying in utter helplessness. One woman was seen running with a piece of stove-pipe under one arm and a cheap looking-glass under the other, on her way to the Ohio levee, weeping in the greatest dis- tress. Confusion was turned loose, and the people living in the one- story buildings saw death staring them in the face.
Soon through the streets in great force came the muddy waters, carrying logs, fences, trees and lumber; and night settled upon the sad scene. In the darkness and soon in the waters itself, were fami- lies making their way to the Ohio Levee. By daylight Sunday morn- ing, there was no dry land to be seen inside the levees, and by noon the waters inside were of the height of the rivers.
Some of the one-story buildings in the low grounds of the town presented only their roofs above the water.
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In every quarter of the city, skiffs, canoes and floats of every kind plied industriously from house to house, removing women and children furniture, goods, etc. to the Ohio Levee. The plank walls were sawed into convenient sections and used as floats, and every imaginable species of craft were improvised for the occasion.
Altogether about 500 persons were driven from their homes, and the little strip of the Ohio Levee, the only dry spot for miles around, was crowded with men, women and children, dogs, cattle, plunder, wagons, carts, etc. from one end to the other. Many people made their way in rafts and skiffs and also left on steamboats for the highlands making their absence from Cairo permanent.
Some families were made destitute by the flood, but these were so promptly provided for by the more fortunate citizens that no real cases of suffering ensued. Charity was offered the people from other cities, but the plucky Cairoites said, "No, we can and are providing for our own people".
There was no perceptible rise in the rivers after the breaking of the levee, and the waters began rapidly to recede. In less than two weeks the city was dry again, and every day the citizens were return- ing to their homes. Logs and rubbish were cleared from the streets, houses were repaired and re-painted, and fences re-built . After a few months the prominent marks of the flood had been cleared away- wiped out forever.
The two years following the submersion of Cairo formed probably the most trying period in her history. Real estate dropped from its former high figure. The shock public confidence had received pre- vented investments, and business being in a measure deadened. Rival interests eagerly proclaimed the downfall of the city, and confidently predicted it would never rise again, and there were many in Cairo and out of it who were ready to believe the blow had proved effectually crushing. But the repairing, widening and strengthening of the levees and expending vast sums in this work soon created a better feeling and helped to inspire confidence. By the end of the second year of the overflow, property had about regained its former value and the business of the city its accustomed tone. As time wore past, the heights and proportions of the levees increased, confidence in the habitableness of the locality gained its original status.
This tragic flood occurred 108 years ago. Cairo has never been flooded since, although many cities along the Ohio and Mississippi have been inundated. Cairo is now protected by the strongest levee system in the world, under the supervision of the United States Corps of Engineers.
THE MAGNOLIAS
By PEGGY ROBERTS
The house which stands at 604 Twenty-eighth Street in Cairo, once sheltered a President of the United States and from the numerous mag- nolia trees which surround it, takes its name-the Magnolias.
Built in 1858 by Colonel Samuel Staats Taylor who was the first Mayor of Cairo, the house was constructed with a wood frame over
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brick and followed the general lines of southern architecture of that day in its wide, sweeping veranda which runs three-fourths of the way around the house.
The President who held a press conference in the parlor at the Magnolias was Theodore Roosevelt and the year was 1907. On October 3, the President, who was making a tour from Washington to Memphis in the interest of a deep waterway from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico, stopped at Cairo overnight on his way to St. Louis from Memphis.
There could be no doubt that Roosevelt was made comfortable at the Magnolias. The ten room house, which was built before the Civil War swept over the land, was meant for gracious and leisurely living. Every room in the house, with the exception of two kitchens, has its own fireplace. In the guest room which was President Roosevelt's, the fireplace is a soft yellow glazed tile. Fireplaces in the first floor rooms are black marble with black walnut mantlepieces.
The Magnolias was built around immense halls and both the first and second floors are prepared in two shades of red. The proportions of the rooms are gracious; the drawing room has double entrances flanked by white colonnade, and the reception hall is large and stately.
The Magnolias was meant for entertaining guests, for banquets, for parties. Its facilities were not overtaxed when it came to enter- taining a president.
Colonel Taylor lived in the house until his death in 1896. George Parsons who was Mayor of Cairo (first elected in April of 1905, then in April 1907, and then re-elected in April, 1909) when President Roose- velt visited, bought the house from the Taylor estate and the house and grounds were again gay with guests and entertainments.
In every community the moral and the material must go along side by side. In every city there should be good schools, and other in- stitutions of learning, good churches, good societies and other means and sources of culture, plenty of good water, good lighting, and good streets. Mayor Parsons was interested and very active in securing many of these.
In Cairo, one of its greatest needs was good streets. There were many high board sidewalks built on stilts above the seepwater. Some of these streets were greatly improved by means of permanent and substantial pavement. These were: Ohio, Twenty-eighth, Sycamore, Poplar, Elm, Second, Walnut, Twenty-first, and Thirty-fourth Streets. Washington Avenue was developed into a beautiful spot.
Many beautiful trees were planted along the Avenue by Mayor Parsons. He also did much to beautify 'St. Mary's Park, directly across the street from his Magnolias. Then too, there was the building of a large sewer on Commercial Ave. from Second to Thirty-eighth Street and the other outlet sewer on Tenth Street.
In spite of great expenditures on sewer system development and street improvement Mayor Parsons added about $35,000 to the city's annual revenues by obtaining an increase of the saloon license from five hundred to one thousand dollars.
In 1918, the Magnolias was sold to Herman Weber, who with his sister, Mrs. Frederic Wilde, resided there until his death in October, 1958. Mr. Weber owned and operated the highly successful Weber Dry Goods Co. on 5th and Commemrcial. Mrs. Weber was the organist for the Lutheran Church.
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The Weber children spent many hours playing under the front porch, the old servants' quarters. The small playhouse located in the backyard which was built for Mr. Weber's daughter (Alma), was later converted into her art studio.
After Mr. Weber's death in 1958, the house was turned over to the Weber children. Lester Weber, of Cairo, sold his interest to his brother, Harold Weber, of Cape Girardeau, who is now the present owner.
The beautiful Magnolias, which for a century was filled with the excitement of many great parties and entertainments, now stands silent.
WALLS OF PROSPERITY
By SUSAN RYAN
Since Cairo was located at the confluence of the mighty Mississippi and Ohio Rivers, spring floods were an almost yearly danger The construction of a levee system was very important for the welfare and safety of the townspeople.
The first known levee was built in 1818-when Cairo was first be- ing settled-by William Bird around his trading house. This fortifi- cation proved to be very efficient and for years it kept out the surging waters.
Because of Bird's ingenuity and good fortune, the construction of levees around the entire town became the particular work of John C. Comyges, who was planning a trip to Holland, in an attempt to bring Dutch laborers to Cairo, to construct our levees as they had built their famous dikes. All went well until Comyges became ill and died; with- out his encouragement the other parties became disagreeable and the needed enterprise was abondoned.
1835 was the magic year for Cairo, as this was when work on her levees was begun. Little did anyone know that this was to be the be- ginning of new prosperity for this growing community! Anthony Olney was appointed General Superintendent of this task. A Major Duncan had made all required surveys and reported that an earthen embankment of five feet in height would secure the City against the highest swells of the rampaging river. When the embankments were completed, they consisted of levees along the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers joined at a southern point (near confluence of the rivers), and also a cross levee-completed in 1843 by Miles A. Gilbert connecting the other two, and thus encircling the entire city. The completed levees enclosed approximately 600 acres of land and their height was about seven or eight feet above the average terrain. Since the con- struction of this levee system at no time have flood waters entered into the City of Cairo.
The following year, 1844, the levees protected the City from one of the greatest floods in recorded history. Cairo was the link between St. Louis, Mo., and New Orleans, La. During this time of destruction and
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desolation the entire Ohio and Mississippi Valleys received some form of malady-except within the protected walls of Cairo. Inside the levees food was plentiful while corn and cotton were harvested within the protective embankments. This incident again makes it clear why Cairo was well known as "Little Egypt."
Further work on the levees was limited until 1878 when abrasions from the current of the river forced a low levee of 3 to 4 feet to be built between 18th street and 2nd street, along the Ohio shore. This levee was thought to be the greatest protection against flooding waters. But the extremely high waters of 1882-83 gave evidence that an even higher levee should be built. In 1897 another 3 feet were added to the levee, this being called the "old stone depot levee." This levee once more saved Cairo from destruction.
The people of Cairo were not contented with the "depot levee" and in 1912-13 the levee was raised to 54 feet. This held back the terribly high waters of 1927 and 1937-when the levees almost gave way and the town was evacuated.
After the 1937 high water the present concrete levee walls were raised to the height of 65 feet above low water level.
As the people of Cairo look up at their levees they should feel a deep sense of security, for these walls have long protected these as well as their ancestors. As the flood waters rage and devastation is high, the people of Cairo can stand behind their "walls of prosperity" and give thanks to those, who for so long, strived through many hard- ships, in order to make her levees a reality.
THE HERBERT HOME By CHARLOTTE SUMMERS
Introduction
The Herbert Home at 2606 Washington was built in 1876 by Thomas Halliday who later became mayor of Cairo. The green lawns were once the scene of fashionable lawn parties. Carefully preserved, the house is furnished with many choice and valuable pieces.
Construction
The house of eight lovely rooms is constructed of red brick veneer over wood. What is now the basement laundry was then the large Halliday kitchen in which elaborate dishes were prepared by the Hal- liday cook, Lizzie.
Southern homes in the period following the Civil War made full use of their basements, which were the protection from summer heats, and the balustrades descending to the basement of the home is solid cherry.
Tom Halliday built his home around generous halls with air cham- bers in between them. He gave it a broad open stairway with polished
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rail, high ceilings, a fireplace in every room except the kitchen, and elaborate chandeliers.
Interior Styling
The furniture in the dining room was brought from the St. Louis World's Fair in 1906. The pieces were prize winning. The period is mission oak furniture, plate rail, and drop art-glass chandelier. One of the most outstanding points of the dining room is the collection of blue and white delft from Holland. The plate collection on the rail contains the plate Queen Enemea gave to Holland when she was crowned in 1898. The mural in the dining room was painted by an early sign painter from Cairo. The motif was taken from a collection of colored glazed tile, which is now framed and hanging on the wall.
The house has three sun porches. The southern porch is enclosed in glass, with window boxes and hanging baskets adding to the charm with flowers. A desk, sitting at the far end of the porch, once belonged to Grandfather Herbert who had an office on Ohio Street, next to Grant's office. The porch is now used as a music room or office.
The kitchen, originally the Halliday dining room, has been modernized. Once it contained a huge cook stove, had servants, and "dumb waiter" which is now closed off and converted into a wash room. The "dumb waiter" brought the food from the kitchen downstairs to the dining room. This has now been transformed into a large com- fortable kitchen with dining area. It's built like a family room with a TV included.
The downstairs hall possesses the water colors by Virginia Herbert, now Mrs Ralph Gibson. Her most famous painting is "The Quiet Snow," which is a painting of the home after a snowfall. It has been exhibited in the Metropolitan Museum of New York, International Watercolor Institution, Missouri Vicinity Show at City Art Museum at St. Louis. Also on the wall is a picture of Mr. Herbert's home on 12th at Poplar. The lovely white house was torn down two years ago. In the hall, standing by the library door, is a huge English Grandfather clock. It is equipped with two sets of chimes, Westminister and Whemington. On the other side of the door, on a table, sets a beautiful Chinese ginger jar in which the Chinese imported their ginger.
The library containing another one of Mr. Herbert's desks, includ- ing two maps, one of Cairo in 1839, and the other one of Illinois in 1837, were done by William Strictland, architect from Philadelphia. All the books are of history. Also Cairo's history can be found in this library. The collection of books were Mr. Herbert's and his father's. The fur- niture is antique and the rugs which are most unusual in the house are oriental. The home also contains lovely ornamental cartouche.
The living room, separated from the library by a double door, has Chinese oriental rug. The others in the house are Russian. To the right of the door sets a beautiful three fingered Lincoln rocker done in deep purple satin. The antique fans on the wall over the sofa were brought from Paris by Donald Herbert. Centered in the room is a lovely Steinway grand piano containing a picture of Donald Herbert. At one end of the sofa sets a Chinese vase made into a lamp. The vase is from San Francisco Chinatown.
The miniature portraits were painted by Mrs. Herbert's grand- father, John Fravel, who was a cabinet maker and portrait painter from Philadelphia. The lovely vases on the mantle made by Mr. Her- bert's grandfather, are of the period the family moved into the house- which is the Nouveau Art-antique collectors are now collecting them.
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One of the twin bedrooms, which is the guest room is located at the far end of the hall. The room is papered in English wall paper. The cast-iron mantle is the original. The vases on the mantle are the Nouveau Art. The room is furnished in the Empire Period of furni- ture.
Another bedroom located at the right of the hall, was Mrs. Her- bert's until she died some years ago. In Mrs. Herbert's bedroom with its white wood work and fireplace, is a large pineapple poster bed, which is the symbol of hospitality, of Empire Period with small walnut steps going up to the bed from Iberville, La., near New Orleans. Eng- lish imported paper of dark Victorian red roses and blue ribbons ac- cents the room's beauty and warmth.
On the dressing table is probably the oldest object in the house. a rosewood jewel case, lined in pale green velvet, which was once the possession of Flora MacDonald, who saved Bonnie Prince Charles' life The case dates to 1740 and is flanked on either side by very old scent and cologne bottles. Before the Victorian desk is a swivel chair which was once a part of a Mississippi river packet. Across the room is a Napoleonic sewing table from Louisville, dated 1820.
Another bedroom located next to Mrs. Herbert's room, is Virginia Herbert's room, now Virginia Gibson. The four poster bed is a very early piece with carved knobs made to attach a rope mattress. On the white mantle a pair of French porcelain horses flanked on either side by pink Bristol vases dated 1825. Above this mantle hangs a large original Currier and Ives print-"The Three Sisters" in an unusual lace like frame. The bedroom wallpaper is a copy of a 200 year old lace effect garlanded with roses found in Louisiana.
In the hall are three beautiful Navajo Indian rugs. On the walls are early prints of Boston, New Orleans, and St. Louis.
History
The Herbert Home is one of three Halliday homes still standing. Tom Halliday had a large family up to thirteen or more. The family lived on all three floors.
The Herbert's moved in toward the turn of the century in 1907. They brought the kitchen up on the second floor, Herbert's made the kitchen where the Halliday's had their dining room.
Oscar Louis Herbert, son of Mr. and Mrs. Louis Herbert, came to Cairo just after the Civil War period. His wife, Alberta Bradford Her- bert, came from St. Louis in the year 1906.
Just two people live in the house now, Mr and Mrs. Ralph K. Gib- son. Mrs. Gibson is the former Virginia Herbert. Mrs. Gibson has had paintings exhibited in the Metropolitan Museum in New York City and the Chicago Art Institute. Her studio is in the garage. The two- car garage was originally the barn for the Hallidays. She calls her studio the "Hayloft." Mr. Gibson is a sanitary engineer for the Tri- County Health Department.
Conclusion
The Herbert Home has housed three generations within its lovely walls. The first, the Halliday family; second, the Herberts; and third, the Herbert Home is now the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph K. Gib- son.
A native St. Louisian, Mrs. Herbert became an integral part of Cairo life, and her feeling for fine furnishings combined with the ar- tistry of her daughter, Mrs. Virginia Herbert Gibson, has meant the preservation and enrichmment of the original atmosphere of the gra- cious home.
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CAIRO'S PRIDE: THE MISSISSIPPI AND OHIO RIVERS
By CARL SWOBODA
Cairo, the southernmost city of Illinois, has long been proud of the two sister rivers, the Mississippi and Ohio, which surround the city on three sides and eventually meet a mile south of the town. Sister bridges to span the rivers and to connect the states of Illinois, Ken- tucky, and Missouri, however, were not thought of until World War I, when Cairo became a strategic position for moving soldiers and mili- tary equipment. The ferry system just wasn't swift enough for that purpose; in case of future wars, bridges would be essential, allowing equipment to be moved at a very fast rate.
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