Why is Missouri so southern? (Ozark, Delta: living, activities, friendly)

[Nameless]

Originally Posted by Bass&Catfish2008

This is an interesting thread. I've been to Missouri quite a bit and think it is a great state....my family and I really like the Ozarks/Branson area. From my experience, it would be only this area that would have any obvious southern leanings.

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On another note, Oklahoma is even more difficult to classify than Missouri. What is it? The Midwest, South, Southwest, or the West? It has influences and geography resembling all of those places!
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As for Oklahoma I would say it has more a "southwestern" as in SOUTH-west feel to it. It certainly is not the Deep South, but very similar to Arkansas (at least the central to west portion of the state), northern Louisiana, and Texas. I've been to the majority of tried & true Midwestern states and Oklahoma doesn't resemble these states in overall culture. IMHO wikipedia does a pretty good job of showing where OkieVille lies in terms of regional/cultural designation: West South Central States - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Growing up in Oklahoma we were always taught that Oklahoma was a southwestern state with strong southern culture.

Yes, Oklahoma seems to have even more of an identity crisis than Missouri. One thing I'll say is that Oklahoma west of I-35 doesn't feel much like Arkansas and certainly not Louisiana. I'd like to know one thing we have in common with those LSU fans Anyway, back to the Missouri banter

[benrw]

Originally Posted by zz4guy

Yes Missouri IS southern. At least from a Cedar Rapids, IA perspective.

A few days ago I went to St Francis, MO (on the IA/MO border) and saw a very stark difference in the way people dressed, acted, talked, gossiped , etc. I was shocked at how much things changed just 2 hours south of CR. Felt like I was visiting Tennesee again. It all depends where you're coming from I guess.

Being from northern Iowa I'd say MO is defintely southern. I dont think that a state needed to have slaves to be considered southern.

Missouri is a hodgepodge of a state--basically a Midwestern state with some Southern influences.

I live in Saint Louis, and I can tell you for sure that this area is NOT Southern. South of Saint Louis, though, does seem something like a different world.

If I had it my way, Saint Louis would secede to become part of Illinois.

[STLCardsBlues1989]

No reason for St. Louis City to secede. Unless you expect the counties in Southern Illinois to pay for the zoo and MetroLink and other things St. Louis County citizens pay taxes for.

I understand sometimes St. Louis City may feel under appreciated, but there's no reason to secede. No offense, but that's just dumb.

But if you want higher taxes and gas that costs $.20 more, by all means, secede.

[OA 5599]

Originally Posted by benrw

If I had it my way, Saint Louis would secede to become part of Illinois.

That would be the failed experiment of East Saint Louis, Illinois

[ShadowCaver]

Lets get back on track w/ the 'this state is a midwestern southern state'...

further discussions of StL should be w/in own thread.

thanks.

[ajf131]

Originally Posted by ShadowCaver

Lets get back on track w/ the 'this state is a midwestern southern state'...

further discussions of StL should be w/in own thread.

thanks.

Not midwestern southern(that implies that it is both)....the southern midwest...or the lower midwest, as another way of putting it. Missouri, as NorthwoodsVoyager has defined it numerous times, is a Midwestern state with influences from the South.

[ShadowCaver]

Originally Posted by ajf131

Not midwestern southern(that implies that it is both)....the southern midwest...or the lower midwest, as another way of putting it. Missouri, as NorthwoodsVoyager has defined it numerous times, is a Midwestern state with influences from the South.

lol - I was wondering how long it would take ya to bugger me about that!

[ucfjtm]

Once you've lived in the South, you'll understand that even the "Southern influences" of Missouri are very minor. Missouri is a long way from Tennessee, Kentucky, and Arkansas, and far more like Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa.

[Mr. Answers]

Talk about splitting hairs, people!! Geeze. Missouri is a WHOLE lot more southern than, say, Iowa, Minnesota, Michigan, or Wisconsin. But it's also more midwestern than, say, Kentucky, Arkansas, or Tennessee. I don't see what's so controversial here. Regional designations are pretty much arbitrary--so don't get your personal identity wrapped up in them. If you're a Missourian, be happy you're a Missourian whether that makes you southern or midwestern.

Roll around the industrial parts of St. Louis and you're definitely in the midwest. Bust a move an hour south and you feel a lot like you'd feel in any southern state. Part of Missouri's draw is how dynamic it is--it TRULY is a gateway to all of the regions of the US.

I've gone hiking in rural parts of Missouri where people drive around in pick-up trucks with gun racks wearing camo--not a whole lot unlike what you get in the south. But I've been through KC's and St. Louis's wholesome, all-American neighborhoods that characterize the midwest.

How about just be happy Missouri is Missouri without trying to worry which team we're on.....

[ShadowCaver]

Mr. Answers,,, but but but,,, some just wanna know which team they are on! There is this innate need for some to categorize everything - including masses of land that have been [for the most part] arbitrarily divided into governing bodies, w/ numbers of peoples inhabiting said land mass that are then and therefore evidently and supposedly all of the same ilk.


ps: I've seen same types trucks w/ camo, guns, coolers, etc in WI, MI, OR, CA, NY, etc. and of course when lived in AL and floated about GA, TN, SC, FL...