The nickname "Little Egypt" is associated with both a park in North Dakota and a region in Southern Illinois. This article delves into the possible origins of this intriguing moniker, exploring the historical, geographical, and cultural factors that may have contributed to its adoption.
Typically, Little Egypt includes the counties in red, while the ones in pink are occasionally included. Rhatsa26X, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Little Egypt Park in North Dakota
Little Egypt Park is located 30 miles south of Ray on Lake Sakakawea. It offers picnic areas, camping, and direct access to the lake for boating, fishing, and swimming. In the late 1980s, plans were made to improve the park with a swimming area, bathhouse, upgraded picnic shelters, and camping areas.
The origin of the name "Little Egypt" for this park remains somewhat mysterious. According to some "old-timers" in Williams County, the land had "good soil or dirt." This could be an allusion to the fertile soil found in that region or the hope for fertile soil in the future. The name evokes the feeling of a prosperous community.
The sprawling Little Egypt Park on the shores of Lake Sakakawea. Courtesy Williams County
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During European immigration and settlement in the Midwest and Western states, place names were often chosen to reflect the origins or aspirations of the settlers. For example, Bismarck was named in honor of German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, while a settlement in Traill County was called Little Chicago. Similarly, towns across the Midwest were named Little Norway or Little Sweden by Norwegian or Swedish immigrants. The choice of "Little Egypt" for the park in Williams County may have been inspired by a similar desire to evoke a sense of prosperity and fertility.
Southern Illinois: The Original "Little Egypt"
Southern Illinois is widely known as "Little Egypt," with several towns named after Egyptian cities. This nickname is believed to have originated from comparisons between the geographic features of the Mississippi River and flood plains of Southern Illinois to the fertile Nile Valley in Egypt.
During the winter of 1830-31, poor harvests in the northern regions of Illinois led to the land in Southern Illinois providing food relief to the struggling north, further contributing to the nickname. This mirrors the biblical story of Joseph in Egypt, where Egypt provided grain to those suffering from famine.
Before it was Illinois : History in 5 Minutes!
According to the Illinois Periodicals Online (IPO) Project, the name "Little Egypt" may have been popularized by a Baptist missionary, John Badgley, who, while overlooking the American Bottoms, saw the Mississippi River and Cahokia Mounds and was reminded of Napoleon's invasion of Egypt in 1798.
Here’s an engaging presentation on Napoleon’s Egyptian campaign from Dr. William B. Ashworth, Jr., Associate Professor of History at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
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The Influence of Napoleon's Campaign
Napoleon Bonaparte's invasion of Egypt in 1798 spurred news coverage all the way to North America. Even at that early day many Americans would have noted the two best-known features of Egypt, the Nile River and the pyramids, particularly those at Giza.
Biblical Connections
The story of Joseph and the famine in Egypt (Genesis 37, 39-45) also plays a role. Residents in Northern Illinois traveled south to buy grain after a series of dreadful winters and droughts. In light of that, doesn’t “Little Egypt” make sense now? Baptist missionary Badgley would have known the story of Joseph and the famine, so I can see why he chose the name Little Egypt from high atop the bluffs of the American Bottoms.
Slavery in Southern Illinois
Southern Illinois has a complicated history with legal slavery. Little Egypt was where most of it took place. Bondage in Egypt: Slavery in Southern Illinois may only be available in your area via ebook.
Egyptian-Themed Place Names
Southern Illinois is home to several towns with Egyptian-inspired names, including Carmi, Cairo, Thebes, Karnak, Goshen, and Dongola. This further reinforces the "Little Egypt" identity of the region.
The Mississippi River reminds many of the Nile River in Egypt, and Native American mounds at Cahokia recall the pyramids.
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The Physical Landscape of Southern Illinois
Southern Illinois is bordered on three sides by the Mississippi, Ohio, and Wabash rivers. Several other rivers traverse its countryside, including the Big and Little Muddy, Little Wabash, Saline, and Cache rivers. The southern part of the state is characterized by wooded hills, farms, underground coal mines, strip mines, and low marsh lands.
The Shawnee National Forest in Southern Illinois covers over 277,500 acres of the region. The Crab Orchard Wildlife Refuse contains many different wildlife including deer, geese, ducks, owls, wild turkeys, and many other bird species. Fifteen State Parks, recreation, and conservation areas are located within the region.
Historical Context of Southern Illinois
The earliest inhabitants of Illinois arrived about 12,000 B.C. They were hunters and gatherers but developed a primitive system of agriculture and eventually built rather complex urban areas that included earthen mounds. The Illini Indian tribes arrived in Illinois around 1500 A.D.
The French were the first Europeans to reach Illinois in about 1673. They explored the Mississippi River, establishing outposts and seeking a route to the Pacific Ocean and the Orient. The earliest European settlers in Southern Illinois concentrated along the Mississippi, Ohio, and Wabash rivers at the southern end of the state.
During the American Revolution in 1778, George Rogers Clark led a military expedition that captured forts in Kaskaskia, Illinois, and Vincennes in western Indiana, laying claim to the territory for the Americans.
Non-French speaking settlers were slow to arrive in Illinois. These early settlers were of English, German, Scottish, and Irish descent. They chose to settle in the southern part of Illinois as its wooded hills reminded them of the mountains they left behind.
On December 17, 1811, a great earthquake awakened the settlers in Illinois with a violent trembling. The earthquake is estimated to have been equivalent to an 8.0 on the Richter scale.
Sometime in the 1830s, Southern Illinois became known as Egypt or Little Egypt. The most likely reason this region is known as Little Egypt is because settlers from northern Illinois came south to buy grain during years when they had poor harvests in the 1830s just as ancient people had traveled to Egypt to buy grain (Genesis 41:57 and 42:1-3). Later, towns in Southern Illinois were named Cairo, Thebes, and Karnak, just as in the country of Egypt.
Tourism and Recreation in Southern Illinois
Southern Illinois offers a variety of attractions and recreational opportunities, including:
- The Southern Illinois Artisans Shop & Visitors Center
- Cave-in-Rock State Park
- Fort Massac State Park
- The Old Slave House
- The Du Quoin State Fair
- The Cross at Bald Knob Hill
- The Shawnee National Forest
- Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge
- Various State Parks and recreational areas
Conclusion
The nickname "Little Egypt" carries a rich and complex history, with possible origins in both North Dakota and Southern Illinois. In North Dakota, it may have been inspired by the fertile soil and the desire to evoke a sense of prosperity. In Southern Illinois, the nickname likely arose from comparisons to the Nile River, the biblical story of Joseph in Egypt, and the presence of Egyptian-themed place names. Together, these factors have contributed to the enduring legacy of "Little Egypt" in American Lore.
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