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Southern Illinois is a region of the
U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...
of
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...
comprising the southern third of the state, principally south of
Interstate 70 Interstate 70 (I-70) is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from Interstate 15, I-15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to Interstate 695 (Maryland), I-695 and Maryland Route 570 (MD 570) in Woodlawn, Baltimo ...
. Part of downstate Illinois, it is bordered by the two most voluminous rivers in the United States: the
Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...
below its connection with the
Missouri River The Missouri River is a river in the Central United States, Central and Mountain states, Mountain West regions of the United States. The nation's longest, it rises in the eastern Centennial Mountains of the Bitterroot Range of the Rocky Moun ...
to the west and the
Ohio River The Ohio River () is a river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing in a southwesterly direction from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to its river mouth, mouth on the Mississippi Riv ...
to the east and south, with the tributary
Wabash River The Wabash River () is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed May 13, 2011 river that drains most of the state of Indiana, and a significant part of Illinois, in the United ...
, extending the southeastern border. Some areas of Southern Illinois are known historically as Little Egypt. Although part of the
Midwest The Midwestern United States (also referred to as the Midwest, the Heartland or the American Midwest) is one of the four census regions defined by the United States Census Bureau. It occupies the northern central part of the United States. It ...
, certain areas of Southern Illinois more closely align culturally with neighboring parts of the
Upland South The Upland South and Upper South are two overlapping cultural and geographic subregions in the inland part of the Southern United States. They differ from the Deep South and Atlantic coastal plain by terrain, history, economics, demographics, a ...
(i.e.
Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...
,
Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...
,
Southern Indiana Southern Indiana is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the southern third of the U.S. state of Indiana and borders the states of Illinois to the west, Kentucky to the south, and Ohio to the east. Spanning the state's southe ...
, and
Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...
). Southern Illinois' most populated city is Belleville at 44,478. Other principal cities include Alton, Centralia, Collinsville, Edwardsville, Glen Carbon, Godfrey, Granite City, O'Fallon,
Harrisburg Harrisburg ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat, seat of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, Dauphin County. With a population of 50, ...
, Herrin, West Frankfort, Mt. Vernon, Marion, and Carbondale, where the main campus of
Southern Illinois University Southern Illinois University is a system of public universities in the southern region of the U.S. state of Illinois. Its headquarters is in Carbondale, Illinois. Board of trustees The university is governed by the nine member SIU Board of T ...
is located. Residents may also commute to
St. Louis St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a populatio ...
and
Cape Girardeau, Missouri Cape Girardeau ( , ; colloquially referred to as "Cape") is a city in Cape Girardeau County, Missouri, Cape Girardeau and Scott County, Missouri, Scott Counties in the U.S. state of Missouri. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the ...
;
Evansville, Indiana Evansville is a city in Vanderburgh County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 118,414 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is Indiana's List of cities in Indiana, third-most populous city after India ...
; and
Paducah, Kentucky Paducah ( ) is a List of cities in Kentucky, home rule-class city in the Upland South, and the county seat of McCracken County, Kentucky, United States. The most populous city in the Jackson Purchase region, it is located in the Southeastern Unit ...
. The region is home to Scott Air Force Base, a major military installation. The area has a population of 1.2 million people, who live mostly in rural towns and
cities A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...
separated by extensive farmland and the Shawnee National Forest. The two higher density areas of population are
Metro East The Metro East is an urban area in Southern Illinois, United States that contains the eastern and northern urban, suburban, and exurban areas on the Mississippi River in Greater St. Louis. It encompasses eight Illinois counties and constitutes ...
(pop. 700,000+), which is the partly industrialized Illinois portion of the St. Louis Metropolitan Area, and the Carbondale–Marion–Herrin, Illinois Combined Statistical Area, centered on Carbondale and Marion, a two-county area that is home to 123,272 residents. The first European settlers were French colonists in the part of their North American territory called
Illinois Country The Illinois Country ( ; ; ), also referred to as Upper Louisiana ( ; ), was a vast region of New France claimed in the 1600s that later fell under Spanish and British control before becoming what is now part of the Midwestern United States. Whi ...
. Later settlers migrated from the
Upland South The Upland South and Upper South are two overlapping cultural and geographic subregions in the inland part of the Southern United States. They differ from the Deep South and Atlantic coastal plain by terrain, history, economics, demographics, a ...
of the United States, traveling by the Ohio River. The region was affiliated with the southern agricultural economy, based on enslaved African Americans as workers on major plantations, and rural culture. Some settlers owned slaves before the territory was organized and slavery was prohibited. Many areas developed an economy based on
coal mining Coal mining is the process of resource extraction, extracting coal from the ground or from a mine. Coal is valued for its Energy value of coal, energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to Electricity generation, generate electr ...
.


History


Early history

The earliest inhabitants of Illinois are thought to have arrived about 12,000 BC. They were indigenous
hunter-gatherer A hunter-gatherer or forager is a human living in a community, or according to an ancestrally derived Lifestyle, lifestyle, in which most or all food is obtained by foraging, that is, by gathering food from local naturally occurring sources, esp ...
s, but they also developed their own system of agriculture. After AD 1000, the production of agricultural surpluses resulted in the development of complex, hierarchical societies. With the rise of the
Mississippian culture The Mississippian culture was a collection of Native American societies that flourished in what is now the Midwestern, Eastern, and Southeastern United States from approximately 800 to 1600 CE, varying regionally. It was known for building la ...
in the Mississippi and Ohio River valleys, tribal leaders organized thousands of workers to build complex urban areas featuring numerous large earthworks – pyramidal, ridgetop and conical
mound A mound is a wikt:heaped, heaped pile of soil, earth, gravel, sand, rock (geology), rocks, or debris. Most commonly, mounds are earthen formations such as hills and mountains, particularly if they appear artificial. A mound may be any rounded ...
s used for religious, political and ceremonial purposes.
Cahokia Cahokia Mounds ( 11 MS 2) is the site of a Native American city (which existed 1050–1350 CE) directly across the Mississippi River from present-day St. Louis. The state archaeology park lies in south-western Illinois between East St. L ...
, located within the boundaries of present-day Collinsville, Illinois, was the major regional center of this culture. It contains the largest prehistoric earthworks in the Americas, and has been designated as a
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...
. The mound builders' culture seems to have collapsed between AD 1400–1500. The Mississippians had abandoned Cahokia long before the first European explorers arrived. The Illinois tribes, for whom the state is named, and other historic tribes migrated to Southern Illinois around AD 1500. Archaeologists say they were not descendants of the earlier inhabitants; they spoke an Algonquian language of Miami-Illini, shared in dialects among neighboring regional tribes. They had likely migrated from eastern areas, where Algonquian-language tribes emerged along the Atlantic Coast and waterways. The Illini left numerous artifacts, including burial sites, burned-out campfires along the bases of bluffs, pottery, flint implements, and weapons. Structures built by them include stone forts or "pounds". Visitors can see a stone fort in Giant City State Park near Makanda. At least eight other such structures are known in the region.


Illinois Country

In about 1673, French explorers from Quebec became the first Europeans to reach Illinois. The French named the area
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...
after the Indians who had greeted them. The French explored the Mississippi River, establishing outposts and seeking a route to the Pacific Ocean and the Far East. As increasing Indian unrest and warfare began in
Northern Illinois Northern Illinois is a region generally covering the northern third of the U.S. state of Illinois. The region is by far the most populous of Illinois, with nearly 9.7 million residents as of 2010. Economics Northern Illinois is dominated by ...
over the lucrative
fur trade The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of a world fur market in the early modern period, furs of boreal ecosystem, boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals h ...
along the
Great Lakes The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes spanning the Canada–United States border. The five lakes are Lake Superior, Superior, Lake Michigan, Michigan, Lake Huron, H ...
, the French concentrated on building outposts in Southern Illinois. The earliest European settlers were concentrated along the
Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...
,
Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...
, and Wabash rivers, which provided easy routes for travel and trade. The settlements including
Cahokia Cahokia Mounds ( 11 MS 2) is the site of a Native American city (which existed 1050–1350 CE) directly across the Mississippi River from present-day St. Louis. The state archaeology park lies in south-western Illinois between East St. L ...
town,
Kaskaskia The Kaskaskia were a historical Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands. They were one of about a dozen cognate tribes that made up the Illiniwek Confederation, also called the Illinois Confederation. Their longstanding homeland was in ...
and
Chartres Chartres () is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Eure-et-Loir Departments of France, department in the Centre-Val de Loire Regions of France, region in France. It is located about southwest of Paris. At the 2019 census, there were 1 ...
became important market villages and supply depots between Canada and the French ports on the lower Mississippi River. Other important early outposts in Southern Illinois were at Old Shawneetown and
Fort Massac Fort Massac (or Fort Massiac) is a French colonial and early National-era fort on the Ohio River in Massac County, Illinois, United States. Its site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. History The Spanish explorer ...
on the Ohio River. After defeating the French in the
French and Indian War The French and Indian War, 1754 to 1763, was a colonial conflict in North America between Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of France, France, along with their respective Native Americans in the United States, Native American ...
(Seven Years' War) and signing the Treaty of Paris in 1763, the English ruled the
Great Lakes The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes spanning the Canada–United States border. The five lakes are Lake Superior, Superior, Lake Michigan, Michigan, Lake Huron, H ...
region. At the time, many French settlers moved from towns on the eastern side of the Mississippi to the western side, which was ruled by Spain after the war. It took over all the Louisiana Territory west of the river. During the
American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...
, the Southern Illinois area was the scene of the best known campaign in what was then the American west, when Virginians sought to occupy it against the British.


American settlers

European-American settlers were slow to arrive in Illinois after the United States victory in the
American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...
. By 1800, fewer than 2,000 European Americans lived in Illinois. Soon more settlers came from the backwoods areas of
Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...
,
Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...
,
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...
,
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...
, and
the Carolinas The Carolinas, also known simply as Carolina, are the U.S. states of North Carolina and South Carolina considered collectively. They are bordered by Virginia to the north, Tennessee to the west, and Georgia to the southwest. The Atlantic Ocean ...
. They were mostly of English, German, and Scots-Irish descent. In 1787, the federal government included Illinois in the
Northwest Territory The Northwest Territory, also known as the Old Northwest and formally known as the Territory Northwest of the River Ohio, was formed from part of the unorganized western territory of the United States after the American Revolution. Established ...
, an unorganized area that included present-day Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Slavery was prohibited in this area, but for some time, slaveholders already in the area were allowed to keep their chattel property. As the areas became more populated with European Americans, they could be admitted as states to the Union. Illinois became a part of the
Indiana Territory The Indiana Territory, officially the Territory of Indiana, was created by an organic act that President of the United States, President John Adams signed into law on May 7, 1800, to form an Historic regions of the United States, organized incor ...
in 1800. Illinois settlers wanted more control over their own affairs and Illinois became a separate territory in 1809. It was admitted as a free state in 1818. In late 1811 and early 1812, the New Madrid earthquakes struck the region as one of the largest successions of
earthquake An earthquakealso called a quake, tremor, or tembloris the shaking of the Earth's surface resulting from a sudden release of energy in the lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from those so weak they ...
s, including the most intensive ever inferred (not recorded) in the
contiguous United States The contiguous United States, also known as the U.S. mainland, officially referred to as the conterminous United States, consists of the 48 adjoining U.S. states and the District of Columbia of the United States in central North America. The te ...
. The first bank to be chartered in Illinois was located at Old Shawneetown in 1816. The first building used solely to house a bank in Illinois was built in 1840 in Old Shawneetown and was used until the 1920s. The Old Shawneetown State Bank has been restored as an historical site. Crops of
cotton Cotton (), first recorded in ancient India, is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure ...
and
tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...
were grown in the extreme southern region of Illinois. Cotton was grown mostly for the home weaver, but during the
Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
, cotton was also grown for export, as the regular supply of cotton from the South was not available. Enough tobacco was grown to make it a profitable crop for export. Both crops have been succeeded by other agricultural commodities.


19th century turbulence

A feud between families in Williamson County, called the Bloody Vendetta, lasted nearly ten years and took many lives. In all, 495 assaults with a deadly weapon were committed and 285 murders took place in Williamson County between 1839 and 1876. In 1858,
Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...
ran for the U.S. Senate against incumbent
Stephen A. Douglas Stephen Arnold Douglas (né Douglass; April 23, 1813 – June 3, 1861) was an American politician and lawyer from Illinois. As a United States Senate, U.S. senator, he was one of two nominees of the badly split Democratic Party (United States) ...
. A series of debates were held in seven towns in Illinois, including Jonesboro and Alton. Many of the people living in Southern Illinois were first- or second-generation white Southerners. Many of these families had left the slave South to escape the economic institution of slavery despite retaining its racial ideologies.
Cairo, Illinois Cairo ( , sometimes ) is the southernmost city in the U.S. state of Illinois and the county seat of Alexander County, Illinois, Alexander County. A river city, Cairo has the lowest elevation of any location in Illinois and is the only Illinoi ...
, at the southern tip where the Ohio River joins the Mississippi, grew to considerable commercial importance. On either bank of the rivers were states which, despite remaining loyal to the national government throughout the secession crisis, had numerous residents who, for reasons predominately rooted in racial ideologies, were sympathetic to the Southern rebellion (1860–65). Some prominent Southern Illinoisans were active in the
Knights of the Golden Circle The Knights of the Golden Circle (KGC) was a secret society founded in 1854 by American George W. L. Bickley, the objective of which was to create a new country known as the Golden Circle (), where slavery would be legal. The country would have ...
, which proposed a southern pan-Caribbean confederation of slaveholding states and nations. The outbreak of the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
exacerbated sectional tensions in the region. While the vast majority of Southern Illinoisans who served did so as U.S. volunteers, 34 men from the counties of Williamson and Jackson traveled to western Tennessee to enlist within Company G of the 15th Tennessee Volunteer Infantry. Far more served in the ranks of U.S. regiments like the 31st Illinois Volunteer Infantry (commanded by famed Southern Illinoisan John A. Logan) or 111th Illinois Volunteer Infantry, both of which were composed exclusively of Southern Illinoisans.
Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was the 18th president of the United States, serving from 1869 to 1877. In 1865, as Commanding General of the United States Army, commanding general, Grant led the Uni ...
was commander of the District of Cairo when U.S. forces staged expeditions into the border states of Missouri and Kentucky, and the Confederate states of Tennessee and Mississippi. Despite the Southern roots of many Southern Illinoisans, 40% of eligible Southern Illinois men joined the Union Army, compared to 28% in the rest of the state.


20th century

Coal mining Coal mining is the process of resource extraction, extracting coal from the ground or from a mine. Coal is valued for its Energy value of coal, energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to Electricity generation, generate electr ...
became an important industry in Southern Illinois around the start of the 20th century, with cities such as
Harrisburg Harrisburg ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat, seat of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, Dauphin County. With a population of 50, ...
prospering, having a population of 16,000 people during the 1920s. Union miners all over the nation went on strike in 1922; during this period, 24 men were killed during a riot in Herrin, in Williamson County. It was called the Herrin Massacre, and the county was known as Bloody Williamson for years to come. The Shelton Brothers Gang and Charles Birger gangs operated in Southern Illinois in the 1920s during
Prohibition Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic b ...
. Shoot-outs between these and other rival gangsters and with law enforcement officers were common. After being convicted of ordering the murder of the mayor of West City, the leader of the Birger gang, Charlie Birger, was hanged in 1928. In 1925 the
Tri-State Tornado In the midday and afternoon hours of Wednesday, March 18, 1925, the deadliest tornado in United States history and second-deadliest worldwide moved through Eastern Missouri, Southern Illinois and Southern Indiana, killing 695 people and inj ...
was the deadliest on record, devastating the city of Murphysboro and killing 234 people, the most in a single city in U.S. history. The Wall Street Crash of 1929 and the
Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
of the 1930s caused coal miners to lose their jobs as most mines closed. Farmers could not sell their crops and lost their land; families defaulted on home mortgage loans; and young people from the region began leaving for the cities to find work. After World War II, employment started to rise within the region, but unemployment continued to be a problem for the rural region for decades afterward. When the Clean Air Act of 1990 required many utility companies in the United States to switch to low-sulfur coal for the health of the nation, lacking affordable technology to clean the coal, the Southern Illinois region lost markets and the economy suffered. However, demand for high-sulfur coal mined in the region has rebounded in the 2010s. Agriculture has since become the main economic driver for the Southern Illinois region. Southern Illinois is gaining a cultural identity apart from its neighbors, as previously-dispersed rural populations become more concentrated around the cities of Marion and Belleville. Marion has grown since 1970 and in the process has been selected for Illinois' first STAR Bonds District for the Millennium Development, a project designed for a city ten times its size."State certifies Marion as STAR Bonds District"
''Daily Republican News''
Populations among the smaller cities and towns have dropped as people moved to the Carbondale-Herrin-Marion combined statistical area and
Metro East The Metro East is an urban area in Southern Illinois, United States that contains the eastern and northern urban, suburban, and exurban areas on the Mississippi River in Greater St. Louis. It encompasses eight Illinois counties and constitutes ...
.


Origin of "Little Egypt" name

In 1799, Baptist minister John Badgley dubbed the fertile highlands and bottoms near Edwardsville the "
Land of Goshen The land of Goshen (, ''ʾEreṣ Gōšen'') is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible as the area in Egypt that was allotted to the Hebrews by the Pharaoh during the time of Joseph (Book of Genesis, ). They dwelt in Goshen up until the time of the Exo ...
". Early Edwardsville was known as Goshen. This was a biblical reference to
Ancient Egypt Ancient Egypt () was a cradle of civilization concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in Northeast Africa. It emerged from prehistoric Egypt around 3150BC (according to conventional Egyptian chronology), when Upper and Lower E ...
. Geographic features such as the Mississippi and its flood plains were like the fertile
Nile valley The Nile (also known as the Nile River or River Nile) is a major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile is the longest river in Africa. It has historically been considered the longest river i ...
. The Indian mounds of the area were large at the time and seemed like the pyramids of Egypt. The nickname stuck, and it was reinforced by other events. In the 1830s, poor harvests in the north of the state drove people to Southern Illinois to buy grain. Others say it was because the land of the great Mississippi and
Ohio River The Ohio River () is a river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing in a southwesterly direction from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to its river mouth, mouth on the Mississippi Riv ...
valleys were like that of Egypt's
Nile Delta The Nile Delta (, or simply , ) is the River delta, delta formed in Lower Egypt where the Nile River spreads out and drains into the Mediterranean Sea. It is one of the world's larger deltas—from Alexandria in the west to Port Said in the eas ...
. According to Hubbs, the nickname dates back to 1818, when a huge tract of land was purchased at the confluence of the rivers and its developers named it
Cairo Cairo ( ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Egypt and the Cairo Governorate, being home to more than 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, L ...
. Today, the town of Cairo still stands on the peninsula where the Ohio River joins the Mississippi. Other settlements in the area were also given names with Egyptian, Greek, or Middle Eastern origins: The
Southern Illinois University Southern Illinois University is a system of public universities in the southern region of the U.S. state of Illinois. Its headquarters is in Carbondale, Illinois. Board of trustees The university is governed by the nine member SIU Board of T ...
Salukis sports teams and towns such as
Metropolis A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural area for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications. A big city b ...
, Thebes,
Dongola Dongola (), also known as Urdu or New Dongola, is the capital of Northern State in Sudan, on the banks of the Nile. It should not be confused with Old Dongola, a now deserted medieval city located 80 km upstream on the opposite bank. Et ...
,
Palestine Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...
,
Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...
, New Athens,
Sparta Sparta was a prominent city-state in Laconia in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (), while the name Sparta referred to its main settlement in the Evrotas Valley, valley of Evrotas (river), Evrotas rive ...
, and
Karnak The Karnak Temple Complex, commonly known as Karnak (), comprises a vast mix of temples, pylons, chapels, and other buildings near Luxor, Egypt. Construction at the complex began during the reign of Senusret I (reigned 1971–1926 BC) in the ...
show the influence of classical culture. (Greek names were also related to the contemporary national pride in the new republic of the early 19th century, and were given to towns throughout the Midwest.) Although Illinois was a free state before the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
, some residents in the area known as Egypt still owned slaves. Illinois law generally forbade bringing
slave Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...
s into Illinois, but a special exemption was given to the salt works near
Equality Equality generally refers to the fact of being equal, of having the same value. In specific contexts, equality may refer to: Society * Egalitarianism, a trend of thought that favors equality for all people ** Political egalitarianism, in which ...
. In addition, an exception was made for slaveholders who held long-term indentured servants or descendants of slaves in the area before it achieved statehood. The
Underground Railroad The Underground Railroad was an organized network of secret routes and safe houses used by freedom seekers to escape to the abolitionist Northern United States and Eastern Canada. Enslaved Africans and African Americans escaped from slavery ...
also operated in southern Illinois, moving nearly equally northward and southward with bounties available for returned slaves appealing to the residents there. Slaves were going to "
Canaan CanaanThe current scholarly edition of the Septuagint, Greek Old Testament spells the word without any accents, cf. Septuaginta : id est Vetus Testamentum graece iuxta LXX interprets. 2. ed. / recogn. et emendavit Robert Hanhart. Stuttgart : D ...
", the land of milk and honey, for which at first glance ''Egypt'' would be an easy mistake. Directions to Underground Railroad travelers were coded in Bible verses or songs, and the story of Moses fleeing Egypt was certainly used as an analog to their own plight. Egypt was the land to escape, and central Illinois represented the biblical Canaan, with Egypt being a treacherous southern Illinois. The nicknames for this region also arose from the political tensions of the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
period, as regions of the state allied differently with North and South. Because southern Illinois was settled by Southerners, they maintained a sympathy for many issues of their former home states. They supported the continuation of slavery and voted for Democrats at a time when the northern part of the state supported Republicans. The meaning is expressed in this description of the 1858 campaign of Douglas and Abraham Lincoln:
In 1858, debating in northern Illinois, Douglas had threatened Lincoln by asserting that he would 'trot him down to Egypt' and there challenge him to repeat his antislavery views before a hostile crowd. The audience understood Douglas: overwhelming proslavery sentiment and Democratic unanimity in Egypt had led to the nickname.
In the fall of 1861, Democrats took a majority of seats in the state legislature. They worked to pass provisions of a new constitution, an initiative begun in 1860. They proposed reapportionment so the southern region's less populous counties would have representation equal to those in the north, which was growing more rapidly. Northern Illinois residents worried about the state coming under the political will of the southern minority. "Shall the manufacturing, agricultural and commercial interests of northern Illinois be put into Egyptian bondage?" wondered the ''Aurora Beacon''."Drew E. VandeCreek, "Politics in Illinois and the Union During the Civil War"
, ''Illinois During the Civil War'', 2002, Northern Illinois University Library, accessed July 3, 2008
When Lincoln commissioned the Southern Illinois Democrat,
John Alexander McClernand John Alexander McClernand (May 30, 1812 – September 20, 1900) was an American lawyer, politician, and a Union Army general in the American Civil War. He was a prominent Democratic Party (United States), Democratic politician in Illinois and ...
, as a brigadier general, he told him to "keep Egypt right side up". In addition, southern Illinois had become the center of the
Knights of the Golden Circle The Knights of the Golden Circle (KGC) was a secret society founded in 1854 by American George W. L. Bickley, the objective of which was to create a new country known as the Golden Circle (), where slavery would be legal. The country would have ...
, a secret group devoted to supporting the Confederacy. With concern rising about armed southern sympathizers, in August 1862, U.S. Marshal David Phillips arrested several Democrats who allegedly belonged to the Knights, including men in respectable positions: Congressmen, state representatives, and judges. One was Circuit Judge Andrew Duff. They were sent to Washington, D.C., where they were held for 68 days before release, but they were never charged. Democrats won across the state in the fall election. After the war, other reasons were proposed for the nickname. Political divisions continued in the state. In the later 19th century, the central and southern agricultural areas joined the Populist Movement. Chicago and the industrial North aligned with similar areas and continued as predominantly Republican into the 20th century. In 1871 Judge Andrew Duff wrote an article in which he ignored the war years and preceding political divisions. He claimed the name of Egypt related to Southern Illinois' role in supplying
grain A grain is a small, hard, dry fruit (caryopsis) – with or without an attached husk, hull layer – harvested for human or animal consumption. A grain crop is a grain-producing plant. The two main types of commercial grain crops are cereals and ...
to northern and central Illinois following the "Winter of the Deep Snow" in 1830–31. Following a long winter and late spring, Upper Illinois lost much of its harvest in an early September
frost Frost is a thin layer of ice on a solid surface, which forms from water vapor that deposits onto a freezing surface. Frost forms when the air contains more water vapor than it can normally hold at a specific temperature. The process is simila ...
. Southern Illinois's weather gave it good crops, so it could ship grain and corn north. The nickname supposedly arose from similarities of the events to the
Bible The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) originally writt ...
story of Jacob's sons going to Egypt for grain to survive a famine. The nickname persisted through the 1890s, when, according to Progressive Era, progressive journalist and Toledo, Ohio, Toledo mayor Brand Whitlock, members of the Illinois General Assembly whose districts lay south of the Ohio and Mississippi Railway, O&M Railway were called "Egyptians."Whitlock, Brand, ''Forty Years of It'', Ch.XVII, p.98.
/ref> Belly dancer Farida Mazar Spyropoulos' appearance as "Little Egypt" at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago brought notoriety to the name, but she had no connection to the Illinois region. Other dancers took up the stage name which popularized it further in the early 20th century. One of the earliest uses of the phrase "Little Egypt" is found in the ''Troy Weekly Call'' of Troy, Illinois, in 1912. A state news brief was headlined, "Two New Little Egypt Pastors." about two new Presbyterian pastors about to be installed at Brookport, Illinois, Brookport and Salem, Illinois, Salem, Illinois. The ''Chicago Tribune'' appears to have first used the phrase "Little Egypt" in reference to Southern Illinois on April 25, 1920 in an article about fruit grown in the region. The title character in the comic strip "Moon Mullins" had a girlfriend named Little Egypt. The strip's creator Frank Willard, was a native of Anna, Illinois, Anna and Southern Illinois.


Microregions


Northern boundary

"Southern Illinois" is not a formal geographic designation and definitions of what constitutes Southern Illinois vary. Many Southern Illinois residents consider the area along and south of
Interstate 70 Interstate 70 (I-70) is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from Interstate 15, I-15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to Interstate 695 (Maryland), I-695 and Maryland Route 570 (MD 570) in Woodlawn, Baltimo ...
as the dividing line between the Central and Southern parts of the state. The geography of Illinois becomes gradually hillier as one travels farther South. One can see this driving south along Interstate 57. The Mattoon, Illinois, Mattoon/Charleston, Illinois, Charleston area is fairly flat. Terrain becomes noticeably less flat as one gets to Effingham, Illinois, Effingham. Around and south of Effingham on the interstate, one sees more trees and terrain that is too hilly for most large farms.


Metro East

The most populous region of Southern Illinois is the Illinois side of the Greater St. Louis, St. Louis Metropolitan Statistical Area. Noted areas are Cahokia Mounds, the American Bottom, and East St. Louis, Illinois, East St. Louis, which has had a turbulent history related to industrialization and labor, immigration and the struggle for equal rights. *Population: 702,579 Counties *Clinton County, Illinois, Clinton *Madison County, Illinois, Madison *Monroe County, Illinois, Monroe *St. Clair County, Illinois, St. Clair *Bond County, Illinois, Bond *Jersey County, Illinois, Jersey *Calhoun County, Illinois, Calhoun Principal cities * Belleville, Illinois, Belleville (St. Clair) * Alton, Illinois, Alton (Madison) * Granite City, Illinois, Granite City (Madison) * O'Fallon, Illinois, O'Fallon (St. Clair) * East St. Louis, Illinois, East St. Louis (St. Clair) * Collinsville, Illinois, Collinsville (Madison) * Edwardsville, Illinois, Edwardsville (Madison) City populations2010census * 41,256 * 25,676 * 27,549 * 32,289 * 26,359 * 24,366 * 26,808


East-Central Southern Illinois (Wabash Valley)

Located on the
Wabash River The Wabash River () is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed May 13, 2011 river that drains most of the state of Indiana, and a significant part of Illinois, in the United ...
, East-Central Southern Illinois is noted by the town of Salem, Illinois, Salem, the birthplace of William Jennings Bryan, the G. I. Bill of Rights and Miracle Whip salad dressing. *Population: 155,988 Counties *Marion County, Illinois, Marion *Clay County, Illinois, Clay *Lawrence County, Illinois, Lawrence *Richland County, Illinois, Richland *Wayne County, Illinois, Wayne *Edwards County, Illinois, Edwards *Wabash County, Illinois, Wabash Principal cities * Centralia, Illinois, Centralia (multiple counties) * Olney, Illinois, Olney (Richland) * Salem, Illinois, Salem (Marion) * Mount Carmel, Illinois, Mount Carmel (Wabash) * Fairfield, Illinois, Fairfield (Wayne) * Flora, Illinois, Flora (Clay) City populations * 13,032 * 9,115 * 7,485 * 7,284 * 5,154 * 5,070 * 12,604


West-Central Southern Illinois

Chester, Illinois, Chester, in West-Central Southern Illinois is noted as the "Home of Popeye".
Kaskaskia The Kaskaskia were a historical Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands. They were one of about a dozen cognate tribes that made up the Illiniwek Confederation, also called the Illinois Confederation. Their longstanding homeland was in ...
, the first state capital of
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...
is located near the Mississippi River. This area also contains the ending point of the Kaskaskia River near the Fort Kaskaskia State Historic Site. Rend Lake is located in this area. *Population: 148,930 Counties *Franklin County, Illinois, Franklin *Perry County, Illinois, Perry *Randolph County, Illinois, Randolph *Jefferson County, Illinois, Jefferson *Washington County, Illinois, Washington Principal cities * Mount Vernon, Illinois, Mount Vernon (Jefferson) * Chester, Illinois, Chester (Randolph) * West Frankfort, Illinois, West Frankfort (Franklin) * Benton, Illinois, Benton (Franklin) * Du Quoin, Illinois, Du Quoin (Perry) * Pinckneyville, Illinois, Pinckneyville (Perry) * Nashville, Illinois, Nashville (Washington) City populations * 15,277 * 8,586 * 8,182 * 7,087 * 6,109 * 5,648 * 3,258


Southwest Illinois

Located within the western reaches of the Cypress Creek National Wildlife Refuge, Cache River, Southwest Illinois is the second most populated region. The region's most notable institution is the main campus of
Southern Illinois University Southern Illinois University is a system of public universities in the southern region of the U.S. state of Illinois. Its headquarters is in Carbondale, Illinois. Board of trustees The university is governed by the nine member SIU Board of T ...
in Carbondale, winner of the 1971 All-America City Award, finalist in the 2009 contest, and the fastest growing city in Southern Illinois outside the
Metro East The Metro East is an urban area in Southern Illinois, United States that contains the eastern and northern urban, suburban, and exurban areas on the Mississippi River in Greater St. Louis. It encompasses eight Illinois counties and constitutes ...
, Marion, Illinois. Both cities are centered in the Carbondale-Marion-Herrin, Illinois Combined Statistical Area, home to 123,272 residents. In the southern reaches of the region Alto Pass, Illinois, Alto Pass and Bald Knob Cross are located near the orchards. The large Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge, Crab Orchard lake is the largest in the region. Historic
Cairo Cairo ( ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Egypt and the Cairo Governorate, being home to more than 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, L ...
sits at the far southern end near the confluence of the
Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...
and
Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...
Rivers. *Population: 158,782 Counties *Jackson County, Illinois, Jackson *Williamson County, Illinois, Williamson *Union County, Illinois, Union *Alexander County, Illinois, Alexander *Pulaski County, Illinois, Pulaski Principal cities * Carbondale, Illinois, Carbondale (Jackson) * Marion, Illinois, Marion (Williamson) * Herrin, Illinois, Herrin (Williamson) * Murphysboro, Illinois, Murphysboro (Jackson) * Anna, Illinois, Anna/Jonesboro, Illinois, Jonesboro (Union) * Carterville, Illinois, Carterville (Williamson) * Cairo, Illinois, Cairo (Alexander) City populations * 26,241 * 17,315 * 12,696 * 7,970 * 6,295 * 5,589 * 2,831


Southeastern Illinois

The least populated region, Southeastern Illinois is marked by being within the Shawnee Hills and the Shawnee National Forest. The area includes many state parks and Garden of the Gods Wilderness. The historic town of Old Shawneetown, Illinois, Shawneetown is located on the
Ohio River The Ohio River () is a river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing in a southwesterly direction from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to its river mouth, mouth on the Mississippi Riv ...
which is the eastern border of the region. The northern reaches of Southeastern Illinois include the Harrisburg Coal field, which are roughly of abandoned coal mines dating to around the start of the 20th century near Harrisburg, Illinois, the largest city in the Southeastern Illinois area. The Saline River (Illinois), Saline River forks through the region as well. *Population: 90,425 Counties *Gallatin County, Illinois, Gallatin *Hamilton County, Illinois, Hamilton *Hardin County, Illinois, Hardin *Johnson County, Illinois, Johnson *Massac County, Illinois, Massac *Pope County, Illinois, Pope *Saline County, Illinois, Saline *White County, Illinois, White Principal cities * Harrisburg, Illinois, Harrisburg (Saline) * Eldorado, Illinois, Eldorado (Saline) * Metropolis, Illinois, Metropolis (Massac) * Carmi, Illinois, Carmi (White) * McLeansboro, Illinois, McLeansboro (Hamilton) * Carrier Mills, Illinois, Carrier Mills (Saline) * Vienna, Illinois, Vienna (Johnson) City populations * 9,034 * 4,122 * 6,570 * 5,240 * 2,883 * 1,653 * 1,434


Television and radio

Southern Illinois is home to a variety of television and radio sources. The primary news station is WSIL-TV 3 operating out of Crainville, Illinois. The region is also home to WSIU-TV channel 8 in Carbondale Illinois. Some Southern Illinois radio stations are run off of River Radio who operates 101.5 WCIL-FM, WCIL (AM), WCIL-AM 1020, WUEZ, 95.1 Steve FM, WOOZ-FM, New Country Z-100, and WJPF. Withers Broadcasting and Dana Communications operate sixteen radio stations in Southern Illinois including WMIX-FM 94.1 in Mt. Vernon and WDDD-FM 107.3 in the Marion-Carbondale area. Viewers also tune in to KFVS-TV 12 out of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and WPSD-TV 6 operating in Paducah, Kentucky.


Geography

Illinois has been partially covered at times by continental ice sheets. Specifically, Southern Illinois was only partially covered by continental ice sheet during the Illinoian (stage), Illinoian Stage and not at all during the Last glacial period, Wisconsin Stage. Thus, the geography of Southern Illinois is considerably more hilly and rocky than central or northern Illinois. Areas of Southern Illinois are more similar to the Ozarks than to central or northern Illinois. Additionally, the rich farm land of northern and central Illinois is generally not found in Southern Illinois. Significant exceptions are the American Bottom along the Mississippi River and the alluvial soils of the Gulf Coastal Plain, a large region that has its northernmost extent in the two river valleys of Southern Illinois. The region's other major river, the
Ohio River The Ohio River () is a river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing in a southwesterly direction from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to its river mouth, mouth on the Mississippi Riv ...
, winds generally southwest, past Shawneetown, Illinois, Shawneetown, Cave-In-Rock, Illinois, Cave-in-Rock, Elizabethtown, Illinois, Elizabethtown, and Golconda, Illinois, Golconda. Its waters join the Mississippi at
Cairo Cairo ( ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Egypt and the Cairo Governorate, being home to more than 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, L ...
. In ancient times, the Ohio is thought to have flowed a more northerly course through Pope and Pulaski counties. It carved a broad valley there, fit for a major river. But today the underfit Bay Creek and Cache River (Illinois), Cache River occupy those valleys. The hills of Little Egypt can be divided into two areas. The western area, more closely related to the Ozarks of
Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...
, is chiefly in southern Jackson County, Illinois, Jackson, Union, Illinois, Union, northern Alexander County, Illinois, Alexander and Johnson County, Illinois, Johnson counties. The eastern area, more closely related to the Wabash Valley seismic zone, is mostly in northern Pope County, Illinois, Pope, southern Saline County, Illinois, Saline, Gallatin County, Illinois, Gallatin, eastern Johnson and southern Williamson County, Illinois, Williamson counties. The Shawnee National Forest covers a large territory, including seven wilderness areas: Garden of the Gods Wilderness, Garden of the Gods, Bay Creek Wilderness, Bay Creek, Clear Springs Wilderness, Clear Springs, Bald Knob, Burden Falls Wilderness, Burden Falls, Lusk Creek, and Panther Den Wilderness, Panthers Den. Of southern Illinois' rivers, only the Mississippi and the Ohio are navigable for modern commerce. The Big Muddy River, Marys River (Illinois), Marys River, Saline River (Illinois), Saline River and Cache River (Illinois), Cache River run their courses in deep southern Illinois. The Kaskaskia River and
Wabash River The Wabash River () is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed May 13, 2011 river that drains most of the state of Indiana, and a significant part of Illinois, in the United ...
are nearby.


Shawnee National Forest

More than of Shawnee National Forest lie to the south of its gateway city
Harrisburg Harrisburg ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat, seat of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, Dauphin County. With a population of 50, ...
. The Shawnee National Forest offers much to see and do. The national forest has of roadways, some of streams and frequent waterfalls, numerous ponds and lakes as large as (some with swimming beaches), 13 campgrounds, many picnicking sites, and seven wilderness areas where trails are designed for hiking and horseback riding. Plant life is extremely diverse and ranges from sun-loving species to those that grow in dense shade. Tree cover dominates the publicly owned land, and is a significant component on privately owned lands. Oak-hickory is the predominant timber type, however, many other commercially important timber species also occupy significant land. More than 500 wildlife species can be found in the Forest, including 48 mammals, 237 birds, 52 reptiles, 47 amphibians, and 109 species of fish. There are seven federally listed threatened and endangered species that inhabit the Forest, as well as 33 species which are considered regionally sensitive, and 114 Forest-listed species.


Climate

Southern Illinois lies on the border between humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification ''Dfa'') and humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification ''Cfa''). The region has neither large mountains nor large bodies of water to moderate its temperature and, thus, it is subject to both cold Arctic air and hot, humid tropical air from the Gulf of Mexico and, along with the rest of the midwestern United States, is home to some of the largest temperature extremes in the world. The region has four distinct seasons. Spring is the wettest season and produces erratic severe weather ranging from tornadoes to winter storms. Summers are hot and humid with only occasional and brief respite, and the humidity often makes the heat index rise to temperatures feeling well above . Fall is mild with lower humidity and can produce intermittent bouts of heavy rainfall with the first snow flurry, snow flurries usually forming in late November. Winters are cold with periodic snow and temperatures often below freezing, however thaws are usually frequent. Winter storm systems, such as Alberta clippers and Panhandle hooks, can bring days of heavy freezing rain, ice pellets, and snowfall. The normal high temperature in July is 90 °F (32 °C), and the normal low temperature in January is 21 °F (−6 °C), although this varies from year to year. Both and temperatures can be seen on an average 2 or 3 days per year. The official record low is on February 2, 1884 in
Harrisburg Harrisburg ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat, seat of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, Dauphin County. With a population of 50, ...
, and the record high is on July 14, 1954 in East St. Louis, Illinois, East St. Louis. Southern Illinois experiences thunderstorms about 50 days a year on average. Thunderstorms contribute over half of the annual precipitation. Especially in the spring, these storms can often be severe, with high winds, large hail and tornadoes. Southern Illinois has been affected on more than one occasion by Southern Illinois tornado history, particularly damaging tornadoes. A period of warm weather late in autumn known as Indian summer can occur – roses will still be in bloom as late as November or early December in some years.


Seismic zones

Southern Illinois sits upon the verging point of two major fault systems, the New Madrid seismic zone and the Wabash Valley seismic zone. In the 1970s after the 5.4 Richter magnitude scale 1968 Illinois earthquake, scientists realized that there was an unknown fault under Saline County, just north of Eldorado, Illinois. This fault is called the Cottage Grove Fault, a small tear in the Earth's rock, in the Southern Illinois Basin. Seismographic mapping completed by geologists reveal that monoclines, anticlines, and synclines are present within the region; these signs suggest deformation during the Paleozoic, coincident to Fault (geology)#Strike-slip faults, strike-slip faulting nearby. A Focal mechanism, fault plane solution of the earthquake confirmed two nodal planes both striking north–south and dipping approximately 45 degrees to the east and to the west. This faulting suggests Fault (geology)#Dip-slip faults, dip slip reverse motion, and to a horizontal east–west axis of confining stress. Although there are no confirmed faults in the immediate epicentral region, the motion indicated corresponds to that along the Wabash Valley seismic zone roughly east of the region, responsible for the 2008 Illinois earthquake. The rupture also occurred partially on the New Madrid fault, responsible for the great New Madrid earthquakes in 1812, consisting of the most powerful earthquakes to hit the
contiguous United States The contiguous United States, also known as the U.S. mainland, officially referred to as the conterminous United States, consists of the 48 adjoining U.S. states and the District of Columbia of the United States in central North America. The te ...
.


Transportation


Passenger rail

Southern Illinois at one time had an extensive network of railroads. Now only Amtrak, the U.S. passenger rail system, provides service to and through the area. Carbondale is served with three trains daily to and from Chicago, and one train daily to and from Memphis and New Orleans. Several trains each day run to and from Chicago and St. Louis, with Alton the major stop in Southern Illinois. Intercity passenger rail stations in Southern Illinois include Alton station (Illinois), Alton station, Carbondale station, Centralia station (Illinois), Centralia station, and Du Quoin station. The St. Louis MetroLink is the light rail transit system in the Greater St. Louis area of
Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...
and
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...
connecting the
Metro East The Metro East is an urban area in Southern Illinois, United States that contains the eastern and northern urban, suburban, and exurban areas on the Mississippi River in Greater St. Louis. It encompasses eight Illinois counties and constitutes ...
to downtown St. Louis. The entire system currently consists of two lines (Red Line and Blue Line) connecting Lambert-St. Louis International Airport and Shrewsbury, Missouri with Scott Air Force Base near Shiloh, Illinois, through downtown
St. Louis St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a populatio ...
. The system features 37 stations and carries an average of 61,573 people each weekday.


Transit


Interstate freeways

The
Metro East The Metro East is an urban area in Southern Illinois, United States that contains the eastern and northern urban, suburban, and exurban areas on the Mississippi River in Greater St. Louis. It encompasses eight Illinois counties and constitutes ...
area near St. Louis has these additional freeways: * Interstate 55 in Illinois, Interstate 55 * Interstate 70 in Illinois, Interstate 70 * Interstate 255 (Illinois), Interstate 255 * Interstate 270 (Illinois-Missouri), Interstate 270 Southern Illinois has 4 major interstate freeways that connect with
Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...
, Indiana, and
Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...
. Depending on the definition of Little Egypt's boundaries, there are four interstates in the region. I-57 is the main north–south freeway through Southern Illinois. It runs through the center of the area. South of Marion is the western terminus of I-24. It runs southeast, crossing into
Paducah, Kentucky Paducah ( ) is a List of cities in Kentucky, home rule-class city in the Upland South, and the county seat of McCracken County, Kentucky, United States. The most populous city in the Jackson Purchase region, it is located in the Southeastern Unit ...
near
Metropolis A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural area for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications. A big city b ...
. South of its junction with I-24, I-57 bends to the southwest and crosses into Missouri near Illinois' southernmost point by Cairo. I-70 runs east–west from
St. Louis St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a populatio ...
to central Indiana. I-64 runs east–west from
St. Louis St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a populatio ...
to southern Indiana. It is cosigned with I-57 for a short stretch at Mt. Vernon. * Interstate 24 in Illinois, Interstate 24 * Interstate 57 in Illinois, Interstate 57 * Interstate 64 in Illinois, Interstate 64


U.S. highways

*U.S. Route 40 in Illinois, U.S. Route 40 *U.S. Route 45 in Illinois, U.S. Route 45 runs from the Brookport Bridge across the
Ohio River The Ohio River () is a river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing in a southwesterly direction from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to its river mouth, mouth on the Mississippi Riv ...
east of
Paducah, Kentucky Paducah ( ) is a List of cities in Kentucky, home rule-class city in the Upland South, and the county seat of McCracken County, Kentucky, United States. The most populous city in the Jackson Purchase region, it is located in the Southeastern Unit ...
, and through Shawnee National Forest. Saline County, Illinois is its most populated stretch in Southern Illinois, connecting the towns of Stonefort, Illinois, Stonefort, Carrier Mills, Illinois, Carrier Mills,
Harrisburg Harrisburg ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat, seat of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, Dauphin County. With a population of 50, ...
, and Eldorado, Illinois, Eldorado, all within the county. The highway continues north through the Chicago metropolitan area and to the Wisconsin border east of Antioch, Illinois, Antioch. With a length of in Illinois, U.S. 45 is the longest numbered route in Illinois. *U.S. Route 50 in Illinois, U.S. Route 50 *U.S. Route 51 in Illinois, U.S. Route 51 roughly follows the Illinois Central Railroad line north–south through the middle of the entire state. Illinois Route 1 runs north–south along the eastern edge of Little Egypt; Illinois Route 3 parallels the Mississippi River along the western edge of the area. *U.S. Route 60 in Illinois, U.S. Route 60 *U.S. Route 62 in Illinois, U.S. Route 62 *Historic U.S. Route 66 in Illinois, U.S. Route 66 *U.S. Route 67 in Illinois, U.S. Route 67


State highways


Bridges and ferries

Bridges and ferries are an important feature in the region, being it is surrounded on three sides by major rivers, the
Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...
and Wabash rivers to the east and south, and the Mississippi River to the west. Indiana: * Red Skelton Memorial Bridge at Vincennes, Indiana, carries U.S. 50/150 to Lawrenceville, Illinois * Lincoln Memorial Bridge, a deck arch bridge carrying Business U.S. Route 50 over the Wabash River between Vincennes, Indiana and Lawrence County, Illinois * Wabash Cannonball Bridge at St. Francisville, Illinois, St. Francisville, carries a farm road from Knox County, Indiana to Lawrence County, Illinois * Mount Carmel Bridge at Mount Carmel, Illinois, Mount Carmel, carries IL 15/IN 64 * Interstate 64 Bridge, located south of Grayville, Illinois between Posey County, Indiana, Gibson County, Indiana, and White County, Illinois. * New Harmony Toll Bridge, New Harmony Bridge, toll bridge that formerly carried IL 14/IN 68 * Wabash Memorial Bridge, spans the Wabash River between Indiana State Road 62 and Illinois Route 141, east of New Haven, Illinois, New Haven, continues to
Evansville, Indiana Evansville is a city in Vanderburgh County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 118,414 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is Indiana's List of cities in Indiana, third-most populous city after India ...
Kentucky: * Illinois Route 13 at Old Shawneetown, Illinois * Brookport Bridge, U.S. Route 45 at Brookport, Illinois * Interstate 24 Bridge near Brookport/Metropolis * Cairo Ohio River Bridge, U.S. Route 51/60/62 near Cairo, Illinois and Wickliffe, Kentucky Missouri: * Cairo Mississippi River Bridge, a cantilever bridge carrying U.S. Route 60 and U.S. Route 62 across the Mississippi River between Bird's Point, Missouri and Cairo, Illinois. * Cairo I-57 Bridge, an arch bridge carrying 4 lanes of Interstate 57 across the Mississippi River between Charleston, Missouri and Cairo, Illinois * Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge, a cable-stayed bridge connecting Missouri's Route 34 and Route 74 with Illinois Route 146 across the Mississippi River between Cape Girardeau, Missouri and East Cape Girardeau, Illinois * Chester Bridge, a truss bridge connecting Missouri's Route 51 with Illinois Route 150 across the Mississippi River between Perryville, Missouri and Chester, Illinois Mississippi River in the
St. Louis St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a populatio ...
area: * Clark Bridge, a cable-stayed bridge between West Alton, Missouri and Alton, Illinois, carries U.S. Route 67 * Eads Bridge, combined road and railway bridge over the Mississippi River, connecting St. Louis and East St. Louis * Jefferson Barracks Bridge, a pair of bridges that span the Mississippi River on the south side of St. Louis, Missouri, that carry traffic for Interstate 255 and U.S. Route 50 * Martin Luther King Bridge (St. Louis), Martin Luther King, Jr. Bridge, carries 3 lanes (1 westbound and 2 eastbound) of Route 799 between St. Louis and East St. Louis * McKinley Bridge, steel truss bridge connecting northern portions of St. Louis with Venice, Illinois * New Chain of Rocks Bridge, a pair of bridges, currently carries traffic for Interstate 270, near Granite City, Illinois and Bellefontaine Neighbors, Missouri * Poplar Street Bridge, carries Interstate 55, Interstate 64, and U.S. Route 40 across the Mississippi between St. Louis and East St. Louis * Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge began carrying Interstate 70 between St. Clair County, Illinois, and St. Louis in 2014. A free ferry crosses the Ohio River at Cave-in-Rock. A toll ferry crosses the Mississippi at Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, near Chester, Illinois. Four other ferries operate in Calhoun County, Illinois, Calhoun County.


Airports

*Benton Municipal Airport *Carmi Municipal Airport *Centralia Municipal Airport *Effingham County Memorial Airport *Fairfield Municipal Airport (Illinois) *Harrisburg-Raleigh Airport *Lawrenceville-Vincennes International Airport *Metropolis Municipal Airport *MidAmerica St. Louis Airport / Scott Air Force Base *Mount Vernon Airport *Pinckneyville-DuQuoin Airport *Southern Illinois Airport *Sparta Community Airport (Hunter Field) *St. Louis Downtown Airport *St. Louis Metro-East Airport *St. Louis Regional Airport *Williamson County Regional Airport


Out of state airports

*Barkley Regional Airport *Cape Girardeau Regional Airport *Evansville Regional Airport *Lambert-St. Louis International Airport *Spirit of St. Louis Airport


Colleges and universities

* Blackburn College (Illinois), Blackburn College (Carlinville, Illinois, Carlinville) * East St. Louis Community College Center (East St. Louis, Illinois, East St. Louis) * Greenville University (Greenville, Illinois, Greenville) * John A. Logan College (Carterville, Illinois, Carterville) * Kaskaskia College ( Centralia) * Lewis and Clark Community College ( Godfrey) * McKendree University (
Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...
) * Olney Central College (Olney, Illinois, Olney) * Principia College (Elsah, Illinois, Elsah) * Rend Lake College (Ina, Illinois, Ina) * Shawnee Community College (Ullin, Illinois, Ullin) * Southeastern Illinois College (
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) * Southern Illinois University Carbondale ( Carbondale) * Frontier Community College (Fairfield, Illinois, Fairfield) * Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ( Edwardsville) * Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine ( Alton) * Southwestern Illinois College ( Belleville) * Wabash Valley College (Mount Carmel, Illinois, Mount Carmel)


Historical politics

Southern Illinois has historically been a conservative Democratic region. In the early months of the Civil War, some residents in Williamson County voted for secession from the Union. On April 15, 1861 the citizens of Marion passed a resolution calling for the division of Illinois and the secession of Southern Illinois. The resolution was soon repealed, but General Benjamin Prentiss left a company of men near Marion for defense as he passed by on his way to a garrison in
Cairo Cairo ( ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Egypt and the Cairo Governorate, being home to more than 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, L ...
. Despite some southern sympathizers, most young men in the region joined the Union Army. Democratic roots in Southern Illinois relate to the region's shared culture with the South, where the Democratic Party before the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
and after Reconstruction Era, Reconstruction was dominant until the 1960s. Democratic affiliations were strengthened during the Great Depression and Franklin D. Roosevelt's administration. There are, however, some long-time Republican counties in the region, most notably, Edwards County, Illinois, Edwards County. However, within the last few decades, Southern Illinois has trended GOP due to nationwide support for the GOP among rural areas, while Northern Illinois due to outward migration from Democratic-leaning Cook County has trended Democratic. Democratic candidates were competitive in the counties of Southern Illinois until around 1996. Beginning as recently as 2000 United States presidential election in Illinois, the presidential election of 2000, Democrats have under-performed in Southern Illinois despite winning Illinois consecutively.


Economy

There are two main centers of commerce for Southern Illinois. They consist of the St. Louis, Missouri metropolitan area (home to approximately 2.8 million people), and the Carbondale, Marion, Herrin,
Harrisburg Harrisburg ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat, seat of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, Dauphin County. With a population of 50, ...
area (home to approximately 245,000 people). The main agricultural products of Southern Illinois are crops such as Maize, corn and soybeans. Apples, peaches, grapes, are commonly found throughout Southern Illinois as well as the occasional sunflower, cotton, wheat, hay, and milo fields. In recent years there has been development of winery, wineries in the Shawnee Hills region. Additional growth has occurred with the local foods movement as Southern Illinois' climate allows for fruit and vegetable production. Southern Illinois is also the home to aquaculture, beef, swine, equine, sheep, goats, and other livestock production. Agricultural efforts in the region are greatly aided by a small University of Illinois Extension research station near Dixon Springs and extensive research from Southern Illinois University – Carbondale's College of Agricultural Sciences. SIUC is home to the state's only non-land grant research-focused university with an agricultural college which provides practical research to the scientific and agricultural communities both in Southern Illinois as well as the rest of the state and the broader region. Southern Illinois also has significant coal deposits; however, since the late 1980s, the coal industry has suffered significant decline due to the decreased demand for high-sulfur coal, which causes more pollution. The collapse of the coal industry had profound and lasting impact on the region's economy. With the introduction and application of scrubber technology at power plants, demand for high-sulfur has made a return in the 2010s. The Illinois Basin, Illinois oil basin is located mostly in Little Egypt. During the early 1940s and 1950s, Little Egypt had a modest oil boom in towns such as Carmi, McLeansboro, and Lawrenceville. Oil production reached more than per year in the 1940s, but dropped to per year by 1995. Oil wells in the region have relatively low yield and produce oil with a high sulfur content, making it expensive to process. There has been no significant drilling activity in the basin since the late 1970s. Manufacturing in Southern Illinois is typically clustered in the largest towns of each county, with the people of smaller towns and villages often commuting to work in the factories. Many of these towns have a number of light factories and other industrial facilities in their industrial parks. Products include industrial electronics, minor electrical items, automobile parts, and packaging materials. Related services include large-scale printing as well as transportation and distribution of warehoused materials and goods. A high percentage of local jobs are in these light industries.


Culture

Southern Illinois is influenced culturally by the rest of Illinois, neighboring
Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...
and Indiana, and Upper Southern states like
Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...
and
Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...
. The immigration route from the east coast ran along the Ohio River, which joined settlements on both sides. In addition, the Cumberland River flowed northwest through Kentucky and Tennessee before joining the Ohio near
Paducah, Kentucky Paducah ( ) is a List of cities in Kentucky, home rule-class city in the Upland South, and the county seat of McCracken County, Kentucky, United States. The most populous city in the Jackson Purchase region, it is located in the Southeastern Unit ...
, affording a migration route from the interior of those states. Thus, settlers who came to Southern Illinois were from Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee, with most of these being of northern English and Scots-Irish descent, who formed the last major migration from the British Isles to the colonies before the American Revolutionary War, Revolutionary War, and settled mostly in the backcountry. Some migrated further west into
Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...
. A road between Golconda, Illinois, Golconda and Jonesboro carried settlers and commerce across Southern Illinois, as well as the Cherokee on the Trail of Tears. Little Egypt exists at the confluence of the North Midland and South Midland dialects of American English. South Midland becomes more prominent as one approaches the
Ohio River The Ohio River () is a river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing in a southwesterly direction from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to its river mouth, mouth on the Mississippi Riv ...
. The dialect change is not a continuum, but rather occurs in pockets, with certain towns and regions notably favoring one dialect over the other. This difference can be found between lifelong residents of the same town. No stigma is associated to either dialect within southern Illinois. According to David Hackett Fischer in his book ''Albion's Seed, Albion's Seed: Four British Folkways to America'', the dialect of this region is Southern Highland. It was derived from the linguistics of the people of the Southern Appalachian region. This is consistent with the majority of the early settlers of this region migrating from the Upper South. The older term for this type of dialect was "Scotch-Irish" speech (the correct term today is Scots-Irish.)


Tourism

Southern Illinois prides itself in tourism as a quaint rural area. There are many state parks in the area, benefiting from the scenery of the Shawnee National Forest. Additionally, Southern Illinois is the oldest part of the state with many historical landmarks to be seen in the area and numerous historical markers dotting the counties.


Casinos

* Argosy Casino Alton, Argosy Casino ( Alton) * Harrah's Metropolis, Harrah's (
Metropolis A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural area for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications. A big city b ...
) * Casino Queen (East St. Louis, Illinois, East St. Louis)


Wineries and orchards

Southernmost Illinois - Things To Do


=See also


Map of Shawnee Hills Wine Trail


Parks

Prominent State Parks within the Shawnee Hills and Shawnee National Forest region Include: * Beall Woods State Park * Cave-in-Rock State Park * Cache River State Natural Area * Wildcat Hollow State Habitat Area * Crawford County State Fish and Wildlife Area * Dixon Springs State Park * Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area * Ferne Clyffe State Park * Fort Massac State Park * Giant City State Park * Golconda Marina State Recreation Area * Hamilton County State Fish and Wildlife Area * Horseshoe Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area * Kaskaskia River State Fish and Wildlife Area * Kinkaid Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area * Lake Murphysboro State Park * Mermet Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area * Newton Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area * Pyramid State Recreation Area * Randolph County State Recreation Area * Ramsey Lake State Recreation Area * Red Hills State Park * Rend Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area * Saline County State Fish and Wildlife Area * Sam Dale Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area * Sam Parr State Fish and Wildlife Area * Sielbeck Forest Natural Area * South Shore State Park * Stephen A. Forbes State Recreation Area * Tunnel Hill State Trail * Ten Mile Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area * Trail of Tears State Forest * Union County State Fish and Wildlife Area * Washington County State Recreation Area * Wayne Fitzgerrell State Recreation Area * Du Quoin State Fairgounds http://dnr.state.il.us/lands/Landmgt/PARKS/region.htm state parks


Sports


Notes


References

* * * * * * Nolan, John Matthew "2,543 Days: A History of the Hotel at the Grand Rapids Dam on the Wabash River" Discusses Charles T. Hinde, one of the silent investors of the Hotel del Coronado and how the Hotel del Coronado influenced the Grand Rapids Hotel in Wabash County, Illinois.


See also

* Central Illinois * Ku Klux Klan in Southern Illinois *
Northern Illinois Northern Illinois is a region generally covering the northern third of the U.S. state of Illinois. The region is by far the most populous of Illinois, with nearly 9.7 million residents as of 2010. Economics Northern Illinois is dominated by ...
* Southern Illinois Speech and Acting League


External links


"Civil War Democrats and Republicans in Illinois"
Northern Illinois University Library
''The Southern" newspaper

Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Southern Illinois related archival collections
at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Special Collections Research Center {{coord, 38, N, 89, W, region:US-IL_scale:1000000, display=title Populated places in Southern Illinois, Southern Illinois, History of Illinois Regions of Illinois