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Fort Defiance Cleanup

CAIRO - Alexander County is still recovering from floods that hit our region back in April. Residents of Cairo are working to restore Fort Defiance State Park. Local historians are looking for help to restore the civil war era land mark.

Debris is keeping Cairo officials from cutting the park's overgrown grass. Evidence of the Park's playground and campground are hard to find. Vernon Stubblefield is part of a group involved with the park's restoration.

"Our intention was to call for a community wide cleanup to get the local citizens involved this weekend. But when we got in to the park there's still some major debris and as you can see the weeds in this park are averaging from anywhere from six to seven feet in height," says Stubblefield.

Fort Defiance is located on the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio river. Fort Defiance was established during the civil war, used by the union to keep control of both rivers. And before April's flood this was used as place of peace.

Restoration organizer Suzy Holland says, "It's a wonderful place, there's such a nice breeze off the Ohio and the Mississippi. It just creates a lovely place, even on the hottest days it's nice place to come for a picnic."

City officials approved a three step plan to revitalize Fort Defiance. First, they plan to convert the toll house into a museum. Then they'll build a replica of the original fort. Last, they'll convert a barge into a replica war ship and floating museum.

Stubblefield says its important to embrace the park's historical significance.

"Many of the ironclads that were built up in mound city, six miles north of us, patrolled around in these waters here and basically helped the union forces control both the Ohio and the Mississippi river," explains Stubblefield.

Step one is almost finished. The Toll House museum will open up to the public Labor Day weekend. And step two will begin once they're able to finish mowing.