Cities of the Midwest

David A Lanegran

What are these cities like and why are the located where they are?

Midwest is home to part of Manufacturing belt

Midwest and corn belt are closely related so many cities have agricultural base

Two aspects of location

• SiteThe internal aspect of a place

physical landscape

local culture population

density

• SituationHow a place is connected

to other placesTransportation communication

Definition of cities

• Cities are nodes in circulation systems• Cities – Assemble– Process– Store– Redistribute GOODS PEOPLE AND IDEAS

Size and wealth of city is determined by

• The degree to which the city is connected to the global system of cities

• The size and wealth of the city’s hinterland or proximate trade area

Types of cities

• Fortress• Ports ( sea, lake,& river,)• Resource sites, ( mines, resorts)• Service centers for surrounding rural

population – Central Places• Industrial sites ( mills - water power)• Political or cultural, ( capitals, pilgrimage

locations)

Midwest developed during steamboat and early railroad era

Two Types of water locations

• Ports on rivers and lake– St Louis– Minneapolis– Cleveland– Cincinnati– Chicago– Detroit

• Capitals on Rivers– Jefferson City– Pierre– Dickinson– St Paul

National Road or Cumberland Road 1811-1839

National road

• Open interior to settlement and trade• Connect Baltimore to St Louis• Stopped and Vandalia when it was capital of

Illinois• Planned to go through St Louis to Jefferson

City

Cities not on Rivers or lakes

• Capitals on National Road– Columbus– Indianapolis

• Other capitals sited for political reasons– Madison– Jefferson City– Lansing– Lincoln– Topeka

Why are the largest cities in some states not also the capital cities?

• Springfield not Chicago• Columbus not Cleveland• Lansing not Detroit• Madison not Milwaukee• Jefferson City not St Louis• Topeka not Kansas City• Lincoln not Omaha

Why are the largest cities in some states not also the capital cities?

• Capitals are some times older than largest cities. ST Paul vs.. Mpls; Columbus vs. Cleveland

• Some reflect public’s desire to separate politics from business

• Some are the results of political pressure Madison vs. Milwaukee

• Some of the largest cities grew much later Detroit than the founding

What can we learn about cities from their nicknames?

Ohio

Cleveland– America's North Coast– The Best Location in the

Nation– The Heart of New

Connecticut– Metropolis of the

Western Reserve– The Mistake on the Lake

• Cincinnati– The Queen City– The Queen of the West– The Blue Chip City– Porkopolis

• Columbus– Test Market, USA

Michigan• Detroit

– America's Comeback City – Arsenal of Democracy– City of the Straits– Hitsville, USA– Hockeytown– The Motor City– Motown– The Renaissance City– America's Automotive

Capital

• Lansing

Missouri

• St Louis

• The Arch City• Gateway to the West• The Gateway City

• Jefferson City

Minnesota

Minneapolis

– City of Flour and Sawdust (reported in 1883)

– City of Lakes– Mill City– The Mini Apple– First City of the West

• St Paul

– Hockeytown– Saintly City

Wisconsin

Milwaukee– A Great Place on a Great

Lake. – Brew City/Brew Town– City of Festivals.

• Madison– Mad City– Madtown

Illinois

–Chicago

– Chi-Town– The City of the Big

Shoulders– The City That Works (by

Mayor Daley, for example)

– The Second City– The Windy City

• Springfield

– Flower city

Indiana

–Indianapolis

– Amateur Sports Capital of the World. – Circle City– Indy.– Railroad City

Iowa

• Des Moines

• Hartford of the West

Kansas

• Topeka • Kansas City – Heart of America

Nebraska

• Omaha

– 'The Big 'O' – Gateway to the West– Rare. Well Done.

• Lincoln

– Hartford of the West – Steak Capital of the

World

North Dakota

• Dickenson• Queen City of the

Prairies

South Dakota

• Sioux City • Pierre

What does the lack of a nickname mean?