Southern Illinois was often compared to Egypt, and Cairo, Illinois, situated
on the Ohio was compared to its north African counterpart located on the Nile River.

Danielle Scott
All Saints Academy, Breese

Have you ever noticed that there are towns in southern Illinois with the same name as towns in Egypt. How did the area in southern Illinois acquire the name "Egypt?" Some say the similarities began with the landforms, while others suggest that Africa's Egypt and Illinois' Egypt shared the same farming experiences. Both were able to grow a sufficient amount of corn, keeping what they needed and selling the rest.

It is not certain what counties are included in Egypt. Some say the boundaries might go as far north as Vandalia, Illinois, while some say it might entail the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad and include the eleven southernmost counties in the state.

Corn was difficult to grow in northern Illinois. Since Egypt had an abundance of corn, by 1831 people from northern Illinois traveled to southern Illinois to purchase corn. This pattern is similar to the biblical account about Joseph's brothers who heard about large reserves of corn in Egypt in Africa. Since the famine diminished their corn supply, Joseph's brothers traveled to Egypt to purchase corn. Other accounts suggest that the landforms and rivers in Egypt, in southern Illinois and Egypt in Africa resemble one another. There are other cities in Illinois like Cairo that resemble the land destroyed by the Nile River's yearly overflow. It is also said that Cairo was named for similarities between the Nile River and the Mississippi River. Edward Dicey, an Englishman, upon visiting the United States, first traveled to the east coast and then moved on to Illinois. Some English preferred land south of Centralia, Illinois, journeying down the Mississippi on their way to Cairo.

Cairo, and the rest of Egypt had very fertile, rich soil, good for growing corn. Since people did not have sophisticated machines, farming was done by hand. Instead of farming their own individual acres, farmers divided land up into two large fields, and each town was responsible for growing its own crops. African Americans and Indian slaves did most of the work on the farms. Some said, perhaps unfairly, that if a farm failed, it was a result of poorly done slave work.

Because of its rich, fertile soil, Illinois was suitable for settlement. Immigrants found that the land was inexpensive. The abundance of waterways enabled Illinois farmers to transport their goods not only up north, but also to other various states. Egypt was described by Baker Brownell as the "other Illinois," since it was so different from northern Illinois.—[From Paul Angle, Prairie State; Singleton Bedinger, Little Egypt; H. V. Church, Illinois.]

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