"Slave Caves" or "Storage Tunnels" ??
The story has been told that during excavation of property on Ohio St.
these "caves" were found and have said to have been for slaves
to hide out until escape via the nearby Ohio River.
However, other stories that have been told have stated that these were actually storage tunnels for the many businesses which were built here. As merchandise, food, etc. came in off of the river for delivery, they were used for cold storage.
It has been noted that there are actual "slave
caves" located at the site of the St. Charles Hotel at the corner of
2nd St. and Ohio St. At one time the railroad ran through the
property for deliveries and the slaves would escape via the railroad.
Copyright© 2001 The Cairo Citizen, North Scott Publishing. All Rights Reserved.