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A full descriptive map of the rust belt, including it's outlying cities. I created this work because of the debates going on as to what cities are rust belt. I found in my research that the term "rust belt" is more of an overlaying network of dying industrial systems/regions within a larger macro region in the united states. Almost like little fingers reaching out in a splatter patter across a massive area between the mid atlantic states and the midwest (Centered around the great lakes of course). This map demonstrates that. From the Wyoming valley of Pennsylvania, to the Cairo vincennes railroad line that supplied the coal fields of Southern Illinois, to the automotive giant of Michigan, to the textile regions of Massachusetts here is the map in it's full glory. I left out Canada for a reason. The rust belt is a strictly US region. Yes, parts of Canada are loosely connected, but that is for another debate on another day. ANY ADVICE WILL BE CONSIDERED TO BETTER THE MAP. I know personally that there are some areas that I messed up on (Particularly in the west Virginia, Pennsylvania region) I still have the complete file split up into layers still on my computer.
Discuss please.
Oh one more thing, this is a map to end the bickering, i feel like at this point i am confident enough to say I left nobody (Well nearly nobody) out.
Some Places I left out of the map, and for what reason.
New York: I don't consider it a rust belt city, it does not have significant parts of the city in financial ruin.
Kansas city: Same as New York. It does have bad parts, but not bad enough for me to add it as one of the "original" rust belt cities.
Louisville: It's more culturally tied to the south, too much for me to add it. And similar reasons as New York And KS.
Memphis: Same as Louisville. (Although considering adding it)
Birmingham: Same as Memphis and Louisville. (Although considering adding it)
Some Places I added to the map, and for what reason.
Coal Regions: After doing extensive reasearch I have found that these regions are dying off as much as the Northern cities, so why not add the boundaries.
Southern Illinois and Southern Indiana: I know this area has tried it's damnedest to delete itself from the industrial history books, but It was one of the leading producers and distributors of coal during the early to mid twentieth century, and some of the cities in Southern Illinois were tobacco giants during the civil war and beyond. Also Evansville was a big manufacturing hub at one time. It was known as the Refrigerator capital of the world for quite a while. Both areas are dying in a BAD WAY now.
This region is mixed in with agricultural regions, and I tried to show that the best I could.
The Chenago Valley - Binghampton was once known as the Valley of Opportunity at one time was the second-largest manufacturer of cigars in the United States. However, by the early 1920s, the major employer of the region became Endicott Johnson, a shoe manufacturer whose development of welfare capitalism resulted in many amenities for local residents. Binghamton's population began growing rapidly from this influx. Also IBM, Ansco, Whirlpool.
OK heres the map. I could go on and on about why I put what where, any questions just ask.
Boston is as far from rust belt as you can get. It is an extremely stable economy based on education, finance, tourism, high-tech, and... fishing. What exactly is rust belt about that?
Lowell, Fall River, Manchester NH? Maaaaaybe at one time.
In New England, the industrial revolution hit early. After Old England, it was the first place in the world to industrialize. Naturally, the collapse happened early too, but so did the revitilization. Anything "rust belt" about New England cities faded away in the last few decades. The only towns that give off a rust belt vibe in NE are old logging towns like Berlin, NH. But as it was logging that built the town and not manufacturing, it doesn't really count.
Having mills in a city doesn't make it "rust belt" if all those mills are luxury condos.
Boston is as far from rust belt as you can get. It is an extremely stable economy based on education, finance, tourism, high-tech, and... fishing. What exactly is rust belt about that?
Lowell, Fall River, Manchester NH? Maaaaaybe at one time.
In New England, the industrial revolution hit early. After Old England, it was the first place in the world to industrialize. Naturally, the collapse happened early too, but so did the revitilization. Anything "rust belt" about New England cities faded away in the last few decades. The only towns that give off a rust belt vibe in NE are old logging towns like Berlin, NH. But as it was logging that built the town and not manufacturing, it doesn't really count.
Having mills in a city doesn't make it "rust belt" if all those mills are luxury condos.
This map wasn't meant to make YOU happy personally, sorry, but I added every city that not only I consider rust belt, but others consider rust belt. Including the outlying branches of cities that at one time had a large manufacturing base and lost population because of it (Which yes includes some cities in Mass). You can take it or leave it. Although I fully understand your points. The economy never fully recovered from those losses. I'm sorry, but when was the last time Fall River had a population of 120,000 people? 1920? yep, because of lost industry. Not trying to be smart elicy, but that sounds pretty Rust belt to me. The same with boston . . . 781,188 in 1930. "By the early and mid-20th century, Boston was in decline as factories became old and obsolete, and businesses moved out of the region for cheaper labor elsewhere.", yes boston has come up, but it WAS rust belt at one time.
Ill look into removing parts of Massachusetts after I do a little more research on the subject.
I may look into making it a "Previously rust belt" region. or something along those lines, being the economy has picked up greatly since.
OK. I have come up with a plan. People give me a list of "recovered rust belt" regions. Im including most of Massachusetts on the list, it will have a different sub color and will be placed in the key at the bottom of the map.
Im thinking about adding Philadelphia Bethlehem, and Allentown, but not Trenton and Camden, sorry those cities are far too gone. Im split on Reading. The city has never fully recovered from it's 111,171 pop.
Baltimore is going on the list for sure, not sure about Pittsburgh or Chicago yet. St. Louis is STAYING, sorry that city is rust belt all the way. The western suburbs aren't but the city and the riverside illinois suburbs are rust belt.
No Baltimore feels like a classic, solid old east coast port city with a heavy NE feel. The only thing that'll make it not NE is its pre-1970 history..........
No Baltimore feels like a classic, solid old east coast port city with a heavy NE feel. The only thing that'll make it not NE is its pre-1970 history..........
Im looking at population numbers and industrial facts here, not the way a town "feels". does it belong in the recovered rust belt list or not? Because it never recovered from it's population loss of 200,000 people, although it does have a thriving economy in the non industry department.
I'm curious how you decided to include Minneapolis-St. Paul as a rust-belt area? Have you researched the Twin Cities at all? The Twin Cities never had an economy dominated by traditional heavy industry, but instead have consistently had a highly diversified employment base, including being headquarters for a high number of Fortune 500 firms.
It also appears that Madison might be in your map--that also is hardly a rust-belt area, but has a growing economy dominated by the university, tech-firms and state government
While parts of Indiana certainly qualify as rust-belt (especially Gary), Indianapolis and Bloomington hardly strike me as rust-belt, as neither city has the large areas of unused and/or polluted industrial areas.
I also wouldn't include Boston or Columbus OH. Boston has clearly transitioned its economy from mills to high-tech, insurance and finance, while Columbus, as state capital and home to OSU wasn't a huge industrial center, has continued to grow, and is home to several major corporations.
what exactly do you think is happening there in northeast KY along the river? thats not a rust belt area. never has been
and the coal fields in western KY and IL are not "rust belt". thats not the same thing.
and what rust belt industry was going on is southwest indiana?
what on earth was this map even based up of?
the rust belt, is best characterized by this (the swath of red from eastern MI to central MI) and then possibly including some unconnected cities:
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