Thebes, Illinois
| Thebes, Illinois | |
| Village | |
 Historically registered Thebes Courthouse
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| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| State | Illinois |
| County | Alexander |
| Coordinates | 37°13′9″N 89°27′25″W / 37.21917°N 89.45694°WCoordinates: 37°13′9″N 89°27′25″W / 37.21917°N 89.45694°W |
| Area | 2.31 sq mi (6 km2) |
| - land | 1.74 sq mi (5 km2) |
| - water | 0.57 sq mi (1 km2) |
| Population | 436 (2010) |
| Density | 250.6/sq mi (97/km2) |
| Timezone | CST (UTC-6) |
| - summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| Postal code | 62990 |
| Area code | 618 |
 Location of Thebes within Illinois
Location of Thebes within Illinois
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Thebes is a village in Alexander County, Illinois, United States. The population was 436 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Cape Girardeau–Jackson, MO-IL Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Thebes was established in 1835. At first it was known as Sparhawk Landing. It was the county seat of Alexander County from 1846 until 1859.
Thebes, like the city of Cairo, also in Alexander County, is named after the Egyptian city of the same name. This part of southern Illinois is known as "Little Egypt".
Abraham Lincoln practiced law here. Legend says that Dred Scott, a slave whose Supreme Court decision set back black rights by declaring that African-American slaves had no claim to freedom, may have been imprisoned in the courthouse jail.
The Mississippi River at Thebes is in excess of four feet deep, which enabled the town to become a busy steamboat port. Union troops passed through Thebes on their way to attack the South during the American Civil War. Thebes Bridge, an important railroad bridge, opened for rail traffic in 1905 and is still in use today.
In literature, Thebes is the home village of Captain Andy Hawks, his wife Parthenia Ann Hawks and daughter Magnolia in the Edna Ferber novel Show Boat.
Thebes is located at 37°13′9″N 89°27′25″W / 37.21917°N 89.45694°W (37.219177, -89.456915).
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