The name “Little Egypt” came from the early settlers of the region, who thought the area resembled the Nile in Egypt due to the low lying topography, fertile marshes, and flooding from the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers.
Why is Southern Illinois referred to as Little Egypt?
Southern Illinois has long been referred to as "Little Egypt." This nickname may be the result of the practices of early settlers from Northern Illinois who traveled to Southern Illinois to buy grain after a series of bad winters and droughts.
Why is Carbondale known as Little Egypt?
The Carbondale area is referred to as “Little Egypt.” Theories about the nickname's origins range from the region's supplying grain to northern and central Illinois during an 1800's famine to comparing Illinois' southern tip to Egypt's Nile delta region.
Why is it called Lake of Egypt?
Lake of Egypt is named after Little Egypt, another name for Southern Illinois. Why is Southern Illinois called Little Egypt? That's where things get murky. The most likely culprit is a Baptist Missionary called John Badgley, who visited Southern Illinois in 1799.
Is there a Egypt Illinois?
The first European settlers were French colonists in the part of their North American empire called Illinois Country. Later settlers migrated from the Upland South of the United States, traveling by the Ohio River. ... Southern Illinois.Southern Illinois Little EgyptLargest cityBellevillePopulation1.2 million
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