The U.S.S. Cairo was one of seven ironclad gunboats named in honor of towns along the upper Mississippi and Ohio rivers. The vessel was commisioned in January 1862 and saw limited action in battles at Plum Point and Memphis before being sunk in December 1862 north of Vicksburg. In 1972, the U.S. Congress enacted legislation authorizing the National Park Service to accept title to the Cairo and restore the gunboat for display in Vicksburg National Military Park.

In May 2011 and April 2012 the Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) Maritime Recording Program documented the gunboat to assist Vicksburg National Military Park with preservation planning efforts. The field documentation teams consisted of HDP architects Todd Croteau (HAER), Paul Davidson (HABS), Ryan Pierce (HAER), and Ashley Walker (HAER).

For more information please visit the Vicksburg National Military Park website.

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