Do people in the area consider Effingham Southern Illinois? That designation is nebulous, but I think of Little Egypt starting just north of Mount Vernon, maybe around Centralia.
From Madison County (St. Louis area) and southward is considered southern Illinois. I-70 provides a rough northern boundary. By that reckoning, Effigham would be southern Illinois, but just barely. The”Little Egypt” designation, as you point out, occurs farther south, though.
I live just north of Charleston and we consider this area to be South Central Illinois. Have to figure a way to carve out Chicago and float it to Canada and Illinois might actually turn around!
My first thought was that this article was about Bald Knob Cross....I consider Effingham more of central Illinois.