U.S. Customs House Exhibit

A special permanent exhibit focusing on Lewis and Clark at the Confluence of the Ohio & Mississippi Rivers was developed at the U.S. Customs House in Cairo as a cooperative project between the Cairo Public Library Board, the Customs House Advisory Board, Southern Illinois University Carbondale and others of the local and regional community.

These groups and individuals who donated research, time, money, and/or exhibit items were: SIUC Department of Architecture and Design, SIUC Special Collections, SIUC University Museum, National Park Service, Shawnee National Forest, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Department, Alexander County Tourism, Ken Hill, Louise and Russell Ogg, Monica Smith, Sheryl Durham, and Tom Parham.

During the days of the Lewis and Clark Re-enactment sponsored by the National Park Service and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, volunteers from Cairo and the Illinois counties of Alexander, Union, Jackson, Pulaski and Johnson participated as docents, guides, and assistants to the visitors, re-enactors, and Corps of Engineer personnel. The Museum served as host to re-enactors and visitors during rainy weather which prohibited some of the outdoor activities.

The exhibit at the Customs House focuses on the activities the Corps of Discovery engaged in at the Confluence officially which included some mapping and surveying activities using the third principal meridian, which runs through the area of the confluence. Instruments used in these activities are highlighted. The context of southern Illinois, especially the area of the confluence, is presented to put into perspective the official and unofficial activities.