Missouri...Southern or Midwestern? (St. Louis, Sikeston: basketball, drug, bank)

[kshe95girl]

Originally Posted by GunnerTHB

I've been to Western KY many times, and I know all about "Hillbilly" country, such as Shannon, Dent, Reynolds & Iron (7 people per square mile!) Counties in the Ozarks. Taking down road signs isn't as rare or uncommon as you may think, as it happens even around here . Hell right up the road there is a PAVED road that doesn't exist according to numerous GPS systems. I don't even own a GPS system anyway in anything. lol

There are roads in my neck of the woods in MO that only exist if you know about them.....that goes for down here in FL, too.

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by GunnerTHB

I've been to Western KY many times, and I know all about "Hillbilly" country, such as Shannon, Dent, Reynolds & Iron (7 people per square mile!) Counties in the Ozarks. Taking down road signs isn't as rare or uncommon as you may think, as it happens even around here . Hell right up the road there is a PAVED road that doesn't exist according to numerous GPS systems. I don't even own a GPS system anyway in anything. lol

I'm no stranger to the mountain culture, as much of my ancestry is part of it with a bit of Louisiana flair as well

Shannon, Dent, Reynolds, and Iron are almost prosperous compared to the eastern Kentucky coal counties. It really is an entirely different world there and is unbelievably insular as well as detached from everything. Poverty rates in eastern Kentucky are over 40% in some counties and over 30% in many others. Much worse than any area of MO. I would like to say that the coal area of KY will turn things around, but the area is just so dysfunctional and in such a mess that I have a hard time envisioning it. Then, you have the horrid issue of mountaintop removal mining to make everything in those areas even worse...

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by kshe95girl

There are roads in my neck of the woods in MO that only exist if you know about them.....that goes for down here in FL, too.

That is why a numbered grid system of roads is so incredibly boring (like most of Kansas City).

[GunnerTHB]

Originally Posted by GraniteStater

Shannon, Dent, Reynolds, and Iron are almost prosperous compared to the eastern Kentucky coal counties. It really is an entirely different world there and is unbelievably insular as well as detached from everything. Poverty rates in eastern Kentucky are over 40% in some counties and over 30% in many others. Much worse than any area of MO. I would like to say that the coal area of KY will turn things around, but the area is just so dysfunctional and in such a mess that I have a hard time envisioning it. Then, you have the horrid issue of mountaintop removal mining to make everything in those areas even worse...

Right and I agree with what your saying. Missouri only has two counties on the 100 poorest counties in the US, and one of them is Shannon.
My point in the previous posts is that I consider the Ozarks to be a unique region that mixes the lower midwest & the upland south with it's own unique flair in almost every aspect of it's culture. However, the Bootheel is still the poorest part of the state by a considerable margin.

And while they may have numbered the roads, the actual locals still call them by their old names.

[onegoalstl]

Originally Posted by GraniteStater

Shannon, Dent, Reynolds, and Iron are almost prosperous compared to the eastern Kentucky coal counties. It really is an entirely different world there and is unbelievably insular as well as detached from everything. Poverty rates in eastern Kentucky are over 40% in some counties and over 30% in many others. Much worse than any area of MO. I would like to say that the coal area of KY will turn things around, but the area is just so dysfunctional and in such a mess that I have a hard time envisioning it. Then, you have the horrid issue of mountaintop removal mining to make everything in those areas even worse...

Some of the counties in the lead belt region of SE MO are rather poor and depressed. Look at Iron county. People live a rough life there, and drug addiction, and alcoholism runs high along with rural poverty.

[kshe95girl]

Originally Posted by GunnerTHB

Right and I agree with what your saying. Missouri only has two counties on the 100 poorest counties in the US, and one of them is Shannon.
My point in the previous posts is that I consider the Ozarks to be a unique region that mixes the lower midwest & the upland south with it's own unique flair in almost every aspect of it's culture. However, the Bootheel is still the poorest part of the state by a considerable margin.

And while they may have numbered the roads, the actual locals still call them by their old names.

Its really quite sad when one considers the sheer natural beauty of Shannon County.
Of course, if it were developed, the danger of that natural beauty would be severely compromised.

[kshe95girl]

Originally Posted by GraniteStater

That is why a numbered grid system of roads is so incredibly boring (like most of Kansas City).

Here in Ocala, they have a numbered grid system, very boring, and redundant.
For example, I live on a Street Road.
Yes, it has a street and a road designation.
Dont even get me started about the fact that the road system is quartered up into SE, SW, NE, NW with the same numbered streets, let alone the fact that the streets dont all connect up, its beyond ridiculous.
I've lived here 21 years and I still get lost on occasion, the woman in my GPS just laughs when that happens.

[GunnerTHB]

Originally Posted by kshe95girl

Here in Ocala, they have a numbered grid system, very boring, and redundant.
For example, I live on a Street Road.
Yes, it has a street and a road designation.
Dont even get me started about the fact that the road system is quartered up into SE, SW, NE, NW with the same numbered streets, let alone the fact that the streets dont all connect up, its beyond ridiculous.
I've lived here 21 years and I still get lost on occasion, the woman in my GPS just laughs when that happens.

Dear Lord my bad, I thought we were discussing county roads

[onegoalstl]

Would you consider places like Table Rock, Theodosia, Gainsville, West Plains to be only upland south?

I've been down in that area around hwy 60 many times and it doesn't feel midwestern.

[kshe95girl]

Originally Posted by GunnerTHB

Dear Lord my bad, I thought we were discussing county roads

City AND county!
You have no idea, its seriously F'd up here.
I live out in the county, waaaay oout.