A certified baseball pioneer, Jackie Robinson came from humble beginnings in the small South Georgia town of Cairo (pronounced Kay-roh). Born to sharecroppers in a small house off Hadley Ferry Road in the winter of 1919, Jackie wouldn’t remember any of his time in Georgia; the family would head west to California just a year later, after his father abandoned his mother and their five children.
Although he didn’t leave much of an impression on Cairo, the town still pays homage to the legendary Robinson, who was the first player to break MLB’s color barrier in 1947. Thanks to efforts in 2001 by Linda Walden, an indirect relative to Jackie, an historical plaque was placed at the site of the home in which he was born. Located near the Florida border about 13 miles south of Cairo, the home unfortunately burned in 1996, leaving only the chimney intact.
After the original marker and the chimney were vandalized in 2021, Major League Baseball helped rededicate a new marker at the birthplace. An identical marker was also erected in front of the Roddenbery Memorial Library in downtown Cairo. Fencing was also placed around the chimney to prevent potential mischief.
Roddenbery Memorial Library: 320 N Broad St, Cairo, GA 39828
Jackie Robinson Birthplace (destroyed): Hadley Ferry Rd 154, Thomasville, GA 31792 (30.712307, -84.214162)
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