Winter of the Deep Snow

For those of you who caught our most recent show that aired on both January 12 and 19, you may be interested in some further information on the Deep Snow. For those of you who didn't catch the show, you will still find this interesting.

In brief, the Deep Snow references the harsh winter of late 1830-early 1831. It was a mild winter up until Christmas eve. It started snowing, and just didn't stop. There was a blanket of snow at three feet on the level across most of the state of Illinois, with drifts that blew to over 12 feet in height. There were over 70 days of snow accumulation that winter, and it was hard times for the people of Central Illinois. Most of the settlers had only been here for a year or two at that time and hadn't been here long enough to accumulate a big winter reserve of food and supplies.

The winter lingered well into the warm months and a lot of people were unable to get crops in the ground. The effects of the winter lasted well into the following year as a result. Where corn had been trading at 10 cents a bushel, it was trading at nearly $2.00 a bushel the year after the Deep Snow. People grew desperate and started travelling to "Little Egypt" (i.e. Southern Illinois) to the land of plenty to get food and supplies. With a warmer climate and a less severe winter, the people of Southern Illinois came to be associated with the biblical story of Joseph in Egypt supplying grain to his brothers.

Here are some links to more information about The Winter of the Deep Snow:

Winter of the Deep Snow 1830-1831
A Story about the Origin of the Name Little Egypt
Includes an article about Historical Snowfalls in Illinois
Includes a short section about The Deep Snow