Little Egypt, Texas facts for kids

Little Egypt was a special neighborhood in Dallas, Texas. It was started by African Americans right after the American Civil War. This community lasted for many years, until the land was sold in 1962.

The neighborhood was about 35 acres big. Today, big houses and a shopping center are built where Little Egypt used to be.

Some college professors, Clive Siegle and Tim Sullivan, studied Little Egypt. They wanted to find out what happened to the families who lived there. They even found a cemetery where some of the first settlers were buried. They also looked for old items, called artifacts, on the land.

History of Little Egypt

How Little Egypt Started

The land for Little Egypt was given to people who had been forced laborers (slaves). This happened right after the American Civil War ended.

Jeff and Hanna Hill were two of these people. They were freed from slavery on June 19, 1865. This was when the Emancipation Proclamation was read in Galveston, Texas.

The community was named Little Egypt because it reminded people of a Bible story. In that story, the Jewish people left Egypt, where they had been slaves.

Life in the Community

The Little Egypt Baptist Church was built in 1870. It was an important part of the community. There was also one school that taught all the students, no matter their age.

Many people in Little Egypt were sharecroppers. This means they farmed land owned by someone else. They would give a part of their crops to the landowner. Others worked on nearby plantations.

The McCree Cemetery was where people from Little Egypt were buried.

Changes Over Time

As years passed, other neighborhoods in Dallas got modern services. They had running water, ways to get rid of trash, gas lines, and paved roads. But Little Egypt only got electricity.

The roads in Little Egypt often became very muddy when it rained. Residents tried to fix them by hauling rocks. The church also did not have central heating or restrooms.

Eventually, a wealthy neighborhood grew up around Little Egypt. In November 1961, the city decided that the land where Little Egypt was located would be used for retail stores. This meant it was planned for shops and businesses.

Moving Away

In 1962, a group of people wanted to build a shopping center on the land. They paid the residents of Little Egypt cash for their homes. They also paid for the families to move.

Sarah Robinson, who was a leader at the Little Egypt Baptist Church, told residents to sell their homes. She believed they would get a better deal this way. The deal to buy the land took a year to finish.

All 200 people living in Little Egypt moved away on the same day in 1962. At that time, it was still legal to stop people from moving into certain neighborhoods based on their race. So, the residents moved to other areas. Many went to the Cedar Crest neighborhood in Dallas, or to Oak Cliff. Some moved to Rockwall County.

Many residents were happy to move. They used the money they received to buy newer, more modern homes.