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The eastern half of Texas doesn't feel or look "western." The terrain is more like that of Alabama or central Louisiana, and we get lots of rainfall each year. Plus, East Texas is agrarian, not a ranch society, though there are some ranches the further west you go. Culturally, historically, east Texas is more aligned with the South than the West, and this is more true the closer you get to the Louisiana border (and less so the further west you drive).
If you drive along 1-20 through the deep South and across to Dallas, it's very easy to see where the terrain and "feel" changes - and it's close to Dallas. Houston is DEFINITELY more southern than western in feel. Tyler and Longview - definitely southern. Waco - that's where things start to change up and have a more western feel when it comes to the terrain. By the time you get to the Austin area you're definitely not in the "south" anymore culturally or visually.
There are various cities that claim to be the "Gateway to the West" e.g. Pittsburgh (even has a business district called the Gateway Center), St. Louis, Omaha, and Denver, to name a few.
As far as Texas goes, what seems to be an issue -- if such terms can be used -- is that Southern and Western are not mutually exclusive applications...anymore than Southern and Eastern are exclusive when it comes to say, Tennessee. Texas is literally the western South; the South moved into a frontier environment and era (the post-bellum time). This was the original definition of the "Old Southwest".
On the other hand, as a basis of comparison, New Mexico and Arizona are "southern" only in geography and had no influence on Texas at all. They didn't even become states until decades after Texas had already been overwhelmingly settled by pioneers and migrants from the southeastern U.S, and that includes even most of west Texas. And the state definitely has nothing in common with Colorado or Wyoming, either historically or culturally.
And really? While, climatically speaking, western Texas shares the drier climate of the true SW states, (NM and AZ), there really isn't much else. Texas has no real mountains, except for very small parts, nor any notable deserts (Trans-Pecos).
About the only thing that can really be said is that if one drew a line down the center of the United States on a north-south axis, then roughly one-half/two-thirds would be in the "west" (as opposed to the "east). But this is something completely different than being western as in sharing a common with the Rocky Mountain, West Coast, and Interior Southwest, in terms of what truly makes certain states a coherent and bonded region.
I recently saw a map where parts of Wyoming, Montana, and Colorado were excluded from the West.
In your opinion, where does the West begin? Are Denver and Cheyenne western cities? Or does the West not begin until Salt Lake City or Phoenix?
Great ? It's NOT the "Gateway Arch" in MO; NOT the Rockies or the "Continental Divide." I lived out West for 30+years and recently returned to MN in June: BIG MISTAKE! The real answer can be found on a "Monument" marker on the Huron SD State Fair grounds (which I discovered a few years ago) entitled "Where East Meets West" and summed up it states: "At the James river where farm land (humidity) changes into ranch land (semi-arid) North to South. I have just spent the hottest, stickiest Summer of my life and am ready to return West! Good Luck!
to me at least the west starts at the rocky mountains, or at the very least the state lines that have the rockys in them (montana, wyoming, colorado, new mexico, and maybe far western texas such as el paso) everything in between the states i mentioned and the mississippi river have some western elements but they can not be considered full fledged western states, and everything east of the mississippi is clearly the east as that was the original border of the united states. though historically back in colonial times everything west of the appalachians was the west, which is why the midwest is called what it is rather than the mid east (which makes more sense imo)
to me at least the west starts at the rocky mountains, or at the very least the state lines that have the rockys in them (montana, wyoming, colorado, new mexico, and maybe far western texas such as el paso) everything in between the states i mentioned and the mississippi river have some western elements but they can not be considered full fledged western states, and everything east of the mississippi is clearly the east as that was the original border of the united states. though historically back in colonial times everything west of the appalachians was the west, which is why the midwest is called what it is rather than the mid east (which makes more sense imo)
I definitely agree with your "mid-east" comment. It's the only part of the previous maps that are skewed (fudged) IMO. How states like Ohio and Indiana are Midwest is nuts. "Pre-colonial times" makes sense but then look who writes history (another topic). So my "air change" point (original post) is discounted (assumed)? Move around enough as I have and you'll know the difference, especially this past Summer in Minnesota: a very hot humid experience which I DON'T plan on repeating!
It starts in Denver. Denver is that Gateway to the West. Now gives us the Arch, St. Louis
Well at least we agree on the "Arch" even though the wagon trains started from there which I guess is their point. NOT (for the West). I lived in Denver and I'll repeat what someone said to me when I asked: "how come there are so many Mid-westerners here?": His reply: "they didn't want to cross the Rockies." AND in those days that would have been a FEAT! Denver: the city that grew from a LIE. No gold found...HaHa. Thanks.
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