A ghost town is a town with few or no remaining inhabitants. Towns become ghost towns for a variety of reasons, but some of the main reasons are due to natural disasters or lack of economic activity. Like all states, Illinois has a variety of ghost towns. We're taking a closer look at four ghost towns in Illinois and their stories:

Do you know of any other ghost towns in Illinois? Have you taken any fascinating pictures? Let us know in the comments. If you'd like to see more places like this, take a road trip and explore these abandoned places in Illinois.

1. Cairo

Cairo is a living ghost town. It is located in Southern Illinois...actually, it is the most southern city in all of Illinois. This place was absolutely booming in the 1920s and 1930s. But the Great Depression hit Cairo pretty hard. People turned on each other, and Cairo had the highest murder rate in the state of Illinois in 1937. The population was around 15,000 with 1,000 of them working as prostitutes. Some fires spread through the town in the early 1940s, and high unemployment after World War II led it to become a hotbed of organized crime. Racial tension and blatant racism led many to leave the town after the civil rights movement of the 1960s. Today, the population is 2800 people. Take a drive through the town of Cairo:

2. Shawneetown

Shawneetown (now referred to as Old Shawneetown) was established in 1748 by the Pewoki Shawnee. Lewis and Clark (yes, that Lewis and Clark) are said to have stopped here way back in the day. The town had the first chartered bank in Illinois. The problem for Shawneetown was its location. It was located right on the Ohio River, which had a tendency to flood--a lot. In 1937, a huge flood completely inundated Old Shawneetown. Only a few hundred people still reside here. Take a look at Old Shawneetown today and in the past:

3. Benld (Macoupin County)

This town was developed for coal mining. The name derives from its founder, Benjamin L. Dorsey. It was once booming. Now, only 1500 people reside here. Some Benld trivia: it is one of the few towns in history where a meteorite hit a manmade object. The Pontiac that was hit by the meteorite is on display at the Field Museum.

4. Buda

Buda is a railroad town through and through. It was named after Buda, Hungary by railroad authorities. The other major industry was wheat production. This town is still "alive." Residents, who are very knowledgeable about the town's history, do live here. There are about 538 residents in Buda. And the railroad depot still remains. However, many of the buildings are boarded up, making this a ghost town. Take a driving tour through Buda: