Updated Missouri map of Midwest/South/ transitional zones (Kansas City, St. Louis: home, to live in)

[mike0421]

Originally Posted by GunnerTHB

The poster's problem is that he tries to tie the cultural discussion in with the Civil War & then revises history to his liking. But I'm with you I think the cultural topic is pretty neat.

The St. Louis thing probably comes from the fact that it has a very unique history compared to the rest of Missouri. The US 67 thing is complicated but the map has it too far north anyway. It should probably go through the Fredericktown area.

Actually, looking at the map again, I went to Taum Sauk using MO 21, through Potosi. I ended up picking US 67 on the way back through Farmington, so I missed Fredericktown altogether.

[kshe95girl]

Originally Posted by mike0421

Actually, looking at the map again, I went to Taum Sauk using MO 21, through Potosi. I ended up picking US 67 on the way back through Farmington, so I missed Fredericktown altogether.

Potosi isnt southern by any stretch of the imagination, just rural and poor.
Just thought I would put that out there before our "historian" () tried to say otherwise in his next incarnation.

[mike0421]

Originally Posted by kshe95girl

Potosi isnt southern by any stretch of the imagination, just rural and poor.
Just thought I would put that out there before our "historian" () tried to say otherwise in his next incarnation.

Since we are on the rural/poor theme, where then, in god's name, do you categorize Cairo? Nothing can prepare you for this!

[aragx6]

Originally Posted by kshe95girl

Potosi isnt southern by any stretch of the imagination, just rural and poor.
Just thought I would put that out there before our "historian" () tried to say otherwise in his next incarnation.

Agreed.

[kshe95girl]

Originally Posted by aragx6

Agreed.

Seems as though I am gonna have to make that statement in advance of anything I say of that nature now.

[GunnerTHB]

Originally Posted by mike0421

Since we are on the rural/poor theme, where then, in god's name, do you categorize Cairo? Nothing can prepare you for this!

Cairo, Illinois is a southern town. (Well, what's left of it). I know people who grew up there when it was big and it was always a southern town in a northern state. That's another town with a very unique history, but sadly it's a mess today.

[GunnerTHB]

Originally Posted by stlouisan

Having done the drive to Mount Taum Sak myself I'd have to agree about Fredericktown. We did that to St. Louis and back in a day..it was only 100 miles each way, but it felt like we'd driven 1000 miles just by the change in scenery...actually felt very uncomfortable in the towns around Mount Taum Sak...definitely a "good ol' boy" area for sure...and no, i don't believe you have to be southern to be called that term. The poverty that I saw was bad even by the standard rural Ozarks...i guess that's why they call that area the heart of the Ozarks.

The drive on 72 between Fredericktown and Cape County is deceiving. There are lots of nice houses along the highway so you think you are in a decently affluent area. Then you see alot of the vehicles driving down the road and you realize how poor Madison and Bollinger Counties are. If you get off the highways its depressing in some spots but the natural beauty can't be beat.

I don't feel uncomfortable out there but if your not used to the area I guess I could see why you may feel that way.

[Smtchll]

Originally Posted by mike0421

Ok, I guess I am missing something here about the C-D Missouri board culture. I was thoughtfully considering the boundaries of the map the OP had put together, and the associated suppositions, but it seems as though the poster was not well-intentioned. I am absolutely fascinated by cultural maps, and I was wondering why the map specifically sub-categorized St. Louis, but not Kansas City? Or, why there is a 'jog' in the orange, jutting north, on US-67? I actually drove that road to Taum Sauk Mountain in the winter, and was intently studying whether or not there was a transition to more southern vs mid-western.

I have a lot to learn about this state.

KC does have a few more Southern characteristics than STL. For instance, with the accent, the pin/pen merger is present in KC, but not in STL. It may not seem like a big deal, but it's a big characteristic of Southern speech. It's also present in some of the lower Midwest. STL, on the other hand, has characteristics of the Northern Cities Vowel Shift, it's the Southernmost city with these characteristics.

Another thing, in metro KC, Evangelical Protestants are the largest religious grouping, so it could be considered part of the Bible Belt. If you add Mainline Protestants to that number, then there are far more Protestants than Catholics.
The Association of Religion Data Archives | Maps & Reports

In Greater STL, Catholics are by far the largest group, more than all Protestant groups combined. It's more in line with Northern or East Coast cities.
The Association of Religion Data Archives | Maps & Reports

So just from dialect & religious differences, I can see how KC & STL could be categorized differently on the map

[stlouisan]

Originally Posted by Smtchll

KC does have a few more Southern characteristics than STL. For instance, with the accent, the pin/pen merger is present in KC, but not in STL. It may not seem like a big deal, but it's a big characteristic of Southern speech. It's also present in some of the lower Midwest. STL, on the other hand, has characteristics of the Northern Cities Vowel Shift, it's the Southernmost city with these characteristics.

Another thing, in metro KC, Evangelical Protestants are the largest religious grouping, so it could be considered part of the Bible Belt. If you add Mainline Protestants to that number, then there are far more Protestants than Catholics.
The Association of Religion Data Archives | Maps & Reports

In Greater STL, Catholics are by far the largest group, more than all Protestant groups combined. It's more in line with Northern or East Coast cities.
The Association of Religion Data Archives | Maps & Reports

So just from dialect & religious differences, I can see how KC & STL could be categorized differently on the map

In Jackson County, Missouri, Catholics outnumber Baptists. 14.83% for Catholics, 11.83% for Baptists.

Kansas City is a Midwestern city. If you believe it is a southern city, you've never been to the south or been there. Cincinnati also has other exceptions to it..politically it is conservative...KC is moderate. And as far as KC goes, most of them do not have southern accents...and it's not present in just the lower Midwest...the pin/pen merger extends well north of Indianapolis, and Indy falls into the accent as well..these places clearly are not southern. If Henry Perry hadn't come in from Memphis and gotten Arthur Bryant's up and running, it's questionable if barbeque would have ever become as big a deal in KC as it is. Kansas City feels and acts more like Omaha and Des Moines than anywhere else.

[kshe95girl]

Originally Posted by mike0421

Since we are on the rural/poor theme, where then, in god's name, do you categorize Cairo? Nothing can prepare you for this!

Wow......Cairo.
A town that as soon as the railroad left, started dying.
Have you aver read about it, Mike?
Its actually pretty interesting, but tragic.