Is St. Louis a Southern city? (Cape Girardeau, Washington: stats, catholics, business)

[EddieOlSkool]

Originally Posted by jeffersonborn51

Interesting thread, growing up in Iowa in the 50's and 60's, where by the way, we also drank sweet iced tea all summer, all of my relatives always spoke of the entire state of Missouri as a southern state. It also seemed they wanted no association with it - I have no explanation, just the sense I always had about it, like it was evil down there. Missourians have always seemed like southerners to me, a little slower paced, a little drawl. All in the perspective I suppose. I never have understood how the south came to claim sweet tea, We called it iced tea, but it always had sugar in it. I've been drinking it all over the USA for 65 years, only heard it was a "southern thing" and that it is called "sweet tea" a few years ago when beverage companies said it was.

A St. Louis accent is not a Missouri accent. It is surprisingly VERY Northern sounding compared to everything around it. Even in Little Egypt that borders it you will hear more of a South Midwestern accent but not in STL

[Jjmars]

Originally Posted by jeffersonborn51

Interesting thread, growing up in Iowa in the 50's and 60's, where by the way, we also drank sweet iced tea all summer, all of my relatives always spoke of the entire state of Missouri as a southern state. It also seemed they wanted no association with it - I have no explanation, just the sense I always had about it, like it was evil down there. Missourians have always seemed like southerners to me, a little slower paced, a little drawl. All in the perspective I suppose. I never have understood how the south came to claim sweet tea, We called it iced tea, but it always had sugar in it. I've been drinking it all over the USA for 65 years, only heard it was a "southern thing" and that it is called "sweet tea" a few years ago when beverage companies said it was.

A little slower paced, language kind of has a drawl in it is a good way to describe it. The St. Louis accent isn't differentiated from the surrounding areas. But yeah all in the perspective. Most Missourians I know who have lived here their entire life don't associate with the north.

[MUTGR]

Originally Posted by jeffersonborn51

Interesting thread, growing up in Iowa in the 50's and 60's, where by the way, we also drank sweet iced tea all summer, all of my relatives always spoke of the entire state of Missouri as a southern state. It also seemed they wanted no association with it - I have no explanation, just the sense I always had about it, like it was evil down there. Missourians have always seemed like southerners to me, a little slower paced, a little drawl. All in the perspective I suppose. I never have understood how the south came to claim sweet tea, We called it iced tea, but it always had sugar in it. I've been drinking it all over the USA for 65 years, only heard it was a "southern thing" and that it is called "sweet tea" a few years ago when beverage companies said it was.

My guess is that was a lingering impression from Northern states because Missouri was a slave state even though it did not secede from the Union. I looked at a very old house in Alton Illinois 20 years ago and the lady selling it was telling me it was used as part of the underground railroad and proceeded to contrast Illinois with the slave state Missouri I was from.

[jeffersonborn51]

Originally Posted by MUTGR

My guess is that was a lingering impression from Northern states because Missouri was a slave state even though it did not secede from the Union. I looked at a very old house in Alton Illinois 20 years ago and the lady selling it was telling me it was used as part of the underground railroad and proceeded to contrast Illinois with the slave state Missouri I was from.

I suspect that would be correct. On a family vacation to Chicago as a kid we once visited a home somewhere in Illlinois with secret caves that was part of the underground RR. It was most likely further north than Alton, but thanks for jogging that memory. The caves and the photographs on display were the most interesting thing on that trip for me.

I've never been to St Louis, but I want to visit there now that I am retired, I may want to stay a year or two.
Some great blues venues, BBQ, and history.

[EddieOlSkool]

Originally Posted by Jjmars

A little slower paced, language kind of has a drawl in it is a good way to describe it. The St. Louis accent isn't differentiated from the surrounding areas. But yeah all in the perspective. Most Missourians I know who have lived here their entire life don't associate with the north.

Yes, the St. Louis accent IS different from the surrounding areas. And the surrounding areas don't have Southern accents or drawls, not even a little bit. Do you know what a drawl is?? Most of Missouri speaks in Midland accents.

[Cryptic]

Originally Posted by EddieOlSkool

A St. Louis accent is not a Missouri accent. It is surprisingly VERY Northern sounding compared to everything around it. Even in Little Egypt that borders it you will hear more of a South Midwestern accent but not in STL

I noticed that as well when I visited Saint Louis. Though some of the people in rural Missouri outside of the city and those just across the river in Illinois had a southern influenced accent (and that disappeared fast as I drove north in Illinois), Saint Louis proper struck me as totally northeren both accent wise and mannerisms wise.

My guess is that industry and commerical ties furhter up the river, not down the river, brought the northeren influenced accent.

[EddieOlSkool]

Originally Posted by Cryptic

I noticed that as well when I visited Saint Louis. Though some of the people in rural Missouri outside of the city and those just across the river in Illinois had a southern influenced accent (and that disappeared fast as I drove north in Illinois), Saint Louis proper struck me as totally northeren both accent wise and mannerisms wise.

My guess is that industry and commerical ties furhter up the river, not down the river, brought the northeren influenced accent.

Cities along the Illinois River speak in nasal Northern accents while their brethren miles away speak in more generic "standard" flat accents that are not distinct.

[snj90]

I don't know, but at least some parts of Missouri are definitely Southern.

[jeffersonborn51]

Originally Posted by snj90

I don't know, but at least some parts of Missouri are definitely Southern.

Isn't it interesting how we never see ourselves the way others see us. Perhaps being at the center of something isn't the most objective point of view. Missouri will always be south of where I'm from, not that it matters.

[STL2006]

I do NOT think STL is a Southern city. I DO think parts of Southern MO are most definitely Southern. That being said, to say STL has no Southern ties at all is wrong. STL had many settlers from the Southern states and sent many troops to the Confederacy. One of the most famous Brigades in the entire CSA, the famed Missouri Brigade was largely made up of soldiers from St. Louis. There's a Confederate Monument in Forest Park for gods sake. So to say it has no Southern ties is false in my opinion. I think the comparison to Baltimore is a good one. STL was then (and is still) somewhat a border city like Cincinnati and Baltimore.