The Midwest is a state of mind and should not, other than for government statistical reasons, be confined by state boundaries.
For example, I think Buffalo has much more in common with Chicago, Detroit and Cleveland, culturally, than the rest of NY state and has always felt Midwestern to me. And Covington (and maybe Louisville?) also feel Midwestern to me. But drive literally just a few miles south of either of those two cities and you are clearly in the South, culturally.
Eastern Kansas and Nebraska: Midwest. Western parts of both state: no.
The interesting question is how is this state of mind defined such that such granular distinctions can be made?
I definitely agree with Buffalo. One thing I think gets left out of the "Midwest" conversation is the binding element that is the Great Lakes. Buffalo is a Great Lakes city and therefor will have much more in common with other Great Lakes cities like the three you mentioned.
I grew up in Louisville and currently live in Lexington, KY. I agree that Louisville feels Midwestern to me, certainly more so than Lexington. I have only ever visited Northern Kentucky. I would suggest that if you ever visit there you should never suggest to a local that it is "a suburb of Cincinnati" unless you are trying to cause offense.
I have also been told that Southern Indiana (which the locals will tell you is not a suburb of Louisville) feels very "Southern" to people. It doesn't to me but my family is from the Deep South. I think both areas are victims of some unfortunate stereotypes.
Thanks Amy. My parents were both born and raised in Bourbon Cty KY (Paris) and were clearly southern. But my niece and her husband both live outside Covington and still seem, and their neighborhood as well, midwestern. I agree stereotypes are common.
Check out Richard Longworth's "Caught in the Middle...America's Heartland in the Age of Globalism" for a very good discussion of the definition of the Midwest.
In discussing Missouri, you neglected to mention Little Dixie, a band of counties north of the Missouri River that was slave-owning and pro-Confederate. I was told by a resident of Chariton County, that when Missouri did not secede from the Union, the county tried to secede from Missouri and join the Confederacy!
I always considered the midwest to consist of Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Missouri, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, and Iowa. Except for the Dakotas, Nebraska, Kansas, into Oklahoma and Texas which are definitely the Great Plains, the remaining states are simply "Non Midwest". ;D
It is interesting how established administrative boundaries fail to capture the social composition of an area. But I guess the social composition is in constant flux.
The Midwest is a state of mind and should not, other than for government statistical reasons, be confined by state boundaries.
For example, I think Buffalo has much more in common with Chicago, Detroit and Cleveland, culturally, than the rest of NY state and has always felt Midwestern to me. And Covington (and maybe Louisville?) also feel Midwestern to me. But drive literally just a few miles south of either of those two cities and you are clearly in the South, culturally.
Eastern Kansas and Nebraska: Midwest. Western parts of both state: no.
The interesting question is how is this state of mind defined such that such granular distinctions can be made?
I definitely agree with Buffalo. One thing I think gets left out of the "Midwest" conversation is the binding element that is the Great Lakes. Buffalo is a Great Lakes city and therefor will have much more in common with other Great Lakes cities like the three you mentioned.
I grew up in Louisville and currently live in Lexington, KY. I agree that Louisville feels Midwestern to me, certainly more so than Lexington. I have only ever visited Northern Kentucky. I would suggest that if you ever visit there you should never suggest to a local that it is "a suburb of Cincinnati" unless you are trying to cause offense.
I have also been told that Southern Indiana (which the locals will tell you is not a suburb of Louisville) feels very "Southern" to people. It doesn't to me but my family is from the Deep South. I think both areas are victims of some unfortunate stereotypes.
Thanks Amy. My parents were both born and raised in Bourbon Cty KY (Paris) and were clearly southern. But my niece and her husband both live outside Covington and still seem, and their neighborhood as well, midwestern. I agree stereotypes are common.
I've always been confused about this!!! Thanks
Check out Richard Longworth's "Caught in the Middle...America's Heartland in the Age of Globalism" for a very good discussion of the definition of the Midwest.
Ooo love a good geography book rec! Thank you!
In discussing Missouri, you neglected to mention Little Dixie, a band of counties north of the Missouri River that was slave-owning and pro-Confederate. I was told by a resident of Chariton County, that when Missouri did not secede from the Union, the county tried to secede from Missouri and join the Confederacy!
I always considered the midwest to consist of Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Missouri, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, and Iowa. Except for the Dakotas, Nebraska, Kansas, into Oklahoma and Texas which are definitely the Great Plains, the remaining states are simply "Non Midwest". ;D
It is interesting how established administrative boundaries fail to capture the social composition of an area. But I guess the social composition is in constant flux.
Thanks for the post, Geoff.