Is Kansas the Midwest? (Plains: estate, transit, area)

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by Jim West

For people who find their calling to be an employee in an urban setting, that is a good place for them. For those of us who make our own way, we like this "frontier setting".

I agree The butte topography in NW Kansas is awesome BTW

[_redbird_]

Originally Posted by Colddiamond102

Okies qualify for honorary status, Joe. But they'll never qualify for "Old Guard" status...

Sorry, Cold, think I'll pass on the "honorary status"...

Oklahoma IS southern plains, but I have never EVER heard anyone in Oklahoma make a claim that we are southern or midwestern. However, we do like southern dishes.

Thanks all the same for the exclusion from Old Guard. That suits us fine.

BTW, I lived in northeastern KS and loved it.

[rickca]

I'm on a driving trip right now, I'm from California and drove through Arizona, through Texas and now I'm in Kansas (on my way to Colorado and then back to California), well I can say that I've seen different signs (ads and things as well on the radio) that would indicate that Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas are all in the midwest, I have also heard Colorado called "midwestern", I think to people who are not from this region (such as from California), the midwest is basically anything that is east of the Rocky mountains and isn't either distinctively "the South" or "the East coast" so I guess its all relative.

[RangerDuke08]

Where else would the Kansas be??? There geographical center of the United States is in Kansas. Maybe mid-center instead of midwest?

The thing about the mid-west is there are two seperate regions seperated by geographers today, namely the "upper mid-west" near the Great Lakes (MI, WI, MI, IL, IN, OH) and then you have the plain states such as KS, NE, ND, SD, etc.

[pioneer88]

While Oklahoma didn't officially exist during the civil war, it was a southern sympathizing region. So to me it's quite a bit more southern than Mid-Western. I grew up in Southeast Kansas about 25 miles to the OK boarder and While I do know a few folks that have a little twang in their voice as soon as you hit that OK State line you'll know. As for Kansas I'd say it's Midwestern in the Sub-Region of the Plains. But I am a geography guy and that's how I've learned it. I can see some characteristics of The West and Midwest with less of the southern influence to me. There is a southern influence to a degree in culture but I think that is primarily the hospitality and focus on family which I believe is also a general characteristic of the Frontier. In regards to Kansas being full of Yankees... Most Kansans are definately Yankees. We fought for the North as a free state and the only Confederates here were folks (Bushwackers) from "Missourah" who tried to influence elections provided by the Kansas Nebraska Act.

I just realized that this was a really old thread, but I'll go ahead and post my comment anyway. How did I stumble upon this? I do not know.

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by pioneer88

While Oklahoma didn't officially exist during the civil war, it was a southern sympathizing region. So to me it's quite a bit more southern than Mid-Western. I grew up in Southeast Kansas about 25 miles to the OK boarder and While I do know a few folks that have a little twang in their voice as soon as you hit that OK State line you'll know. As for Kansas I'd say it's Midwestern in the Sub-Region of the Plains. But I am a geography guy and that's how I've learned it. I can see some characteristics of The West and Midwest with less of the southern influence to me. There is a southern influence to a degree in culture but I think that is primarily the hospitality and focus on family which I believe is also a general characteristic of the Frontier. In regards to Kansas being full of Yankees... Most Kansans are definately Yankees. We fought for the North as a free state and the only Confederates here were folks (Bushwackers) from "Missourah" who tried to influence elections provided by the Kansas Nebraska Act.

I just realized that this was a really old thread, but I'll go ahead and post my comment anyway. How did I stumble upon this? I do not know.

I agree generally. However, I think the southern influences in Kansas are getting stronger over time as more people move up from states like TX and OK. Kansas really has little in common with the Upper Midwest for the most part.
The huge difference between the Plains and the Upper Midwest is climate, particularly "persistent cold." Cold fronts move through the Plains during the winter, but the bitter cold doesn't stay for very long periods of time. In the Upper Midwest in the Eastern Dakotas and points off to the east the cold is much more intense. Lows are commonly below -20F and can get lower than -50F in MN. The culture in the Upper Midwest tends to be much more northern with more ethnic northern European influences. Native Americans are also present.
Orchards are more prevalent in areas of the Great Lakes compared with the Plains. Apples, blueberries, cherries, raspberries, cranberries, etc are often grown there. The northwoods line (45N latitude) basically marks the dividing line between CROPS (corn and soybeans) vs woods. The area north of Wausau, WI can have frosts even during the middle of summer. I love it up there with all the lakes and deep forest.

[pioneer88]

I also agree with what you have said, the main thing is it is extremely difficult (impossible even) to define wholistically (sp?) any region especially one as diverse economically, culturally (Whether it seems like it or not) physically and in terms of climate as the midwest. Even Kansas as "plain" as it seems is extremely diverse when comparing one area to another not just physically but culturally as well as many have mentioned. In regards to frost in the summer, YIKES! no thanks! My roommate from college is from Minnesota and he loves it up there, to me he's crazy (Hoser. haha) but to each is own : ) The lakes are amazing and who can complain about the moderate summer temperatures? For me I have always seen Kansas as "generally in the Mid-West" but definately the frontier. Wild West if you will. To quote Oh Brother Where art thou, "Well Delmar it appears this place is somewhat of a geographical anomaly" (loosely quoted)

[kansas_kid]

It amazes me how all of you not from Kansas are defining us. To a true Kansan, we are not any region. We are KANSAS. Kansas and Oklahoma have much in common--only by refusing to be defined by any other place on Earth. Oklahoma is not Southern, Midwest, Southwest, or West; they are the Indian Nations, they are Oklahoma. Kansas is not Southern, Midwest, Southwest, or West; we are Kansas, the breadbasket of the world. And we are not like Oklahoma, Nebraska, Colorado, or Missouri.

[Cymballine]

I'm in Wichita over the summer, and I recently drove down to Oklahoma for a day. I don't go down there often, and I was amazed at the palpable difference crossing state lines. Others might not agree, but I really felt like I was crossing regional lines as well as state boundaries. I don't experience such a difference when crossing into Missouri or Nebraska.

Kansas strikes me as almost the embodiment of a Midwestern state--it's situated wholly on the Great Plains, it has agricultural roots, there is generally a friendly reserve about the people, etc. There are places you can go in which the atmosphere is akin to other regions (i.e. southeast KS has a markedly southern feel, compared to the rest of the state, while northwest Kansas feels much more western), but overall, Kansas is definitely the Midwest.

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by Cymballine

I'm in Wichita over the summer, and I recently drove down to Oklahoma for a day. I don't go down there often, and I was amazed at the palpable difference crossing state lines. Others might not agree, but I really felt like I was crossing regional lines as well as state boundaries. I don't experience such a difference when crossing into Missouri or Nebraska.

Kansas strikes me as almost the embodiment of a Midwestern state--it's situated wholly on the Great Plains, it has agricultural roots, there is generally a friendly reserve about the people, etc. There are places you can go in which the atmosphere is akin to other regions (i.e. southeast KS has a markedly southern feel, compared to the rest of the state, while northwest Kansas feels much more western), but overall, Kansas is definitely the Midwest.

Kansas is a wholly in the Great Plains and has crops common to the Great Plains. Midwest style agricultural crops like corn have to be irrigated in many parts of Kansas because the climate is to semiarid to support it. Culturally, the Great Plains is much more conservative compared to the Midwest agricultural core of Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, southern Wisconsin, and southern Minnesota. In terms of climate, Kansas is by far the warmest state in the Plains subregion if you don't count Oklahoma and points south. You can't grow most varieties of pine and spruce trees for landscaping purposes like you can in most of the Midwest core and Upper Midwest. Also, Kansas has no naturally ocurring lakes or ponds while the upper part of the Midwest core and Upper Midwest has a plethora. Overall, I would only say about 1/4 of Kansas is entirely within the Midwest core with the other 3/4 of the state either Great Plains/Eastern Plains or Western.