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In order for Denver to be considered "Gateway to the West", you would have to consider that a large part of Colorado itself is in the East! And not just Colorado, but parts of Montana, Wyoming and New Mexico, basically more than 2/3rds of the country, would be considered "East". I think most us would agree this is kind of bizzare!
And so then everything that happened on the Plains, the Sioux, Cheyenne and Pawnee Indians, the vast herds of Bison and Pronghorn Antelope, the gunfights in Dodge City, the pioneers in their wagon trains and even the cowboys rounding uo their cattle from Texas to Kansas --- all happened in the East!
So, I think is still safe to say that St Louis, the city that lays next to the country's largest river, remains at the boundary of East and West --- that is if you divided the country into only two parts, which we rarely do.
St. Louis was the historic gateway to what was considered the West...no doubt. But if one goes west on I-70 into Missouri or east on I-70 into Illinois, is the a real western vs. eastern sort of feeling? I always thought that you're still right in the Midwest in St. Louis, with the South not too far away--but I'm not a expert on Missouri.
But to assume that the West starts at the Mississippi River...well, you'd be hard pressed to find those who condiser Little Rock, Arkansas or Shreveport, Louisiana to be the West, whatever your definition of it is. Unless you're simply dividing the country into western and eastern halves with no regards for other geographic regional distinctions. Going east from Denver you're travelling towards the Midwest, not exactly entering the East.
I think most of the people saying Denver actually live in the far western states, while most of those saying St. Louis live are living further east. Maybe Kansas City is actually closer to being the true dividing line.
Personally, though when people I know speak of the Western US, we're talking about everything from the Rocky Mountains states to the West Coast. One of the primary factors unifying the western states is the low rainfall. Except for the California Coast and the Northwest most of the West is pretty dry, which is why in Oregon, there's a saying that to go to the true west you've got to travel east. But looking at maps below you can see where that division is.
I'd also say Denver as a Gateway to the West -- if one considers that the Gateway City should be unquestioningly part of its region. Denver is without doubt a "western City" and probably the easternmost large Western City.
Geographers often consider the 100th Meridian West as the diving line between East and West -- because it is approximately at this line where the moist climate of the midwest and south collides with the semi-arid and arid climates of the west. Of course, there's no large city anywhere near this line of latitude -- the closest sizable cities being Amarillo and Lubbock in West Texas. Denver is the first Western metropolitan area one encounters when heading from the east approaching the west. (It's at around the 105 West)
Of course, one could say that San Antonio, TX, Dallas / Fort Worth, TX, Omaha, NE or Kansas City are the first major metro areas one encounters when heading from the west. So they might be considered "Gateways to the East"?
Trust me, the country changes into a more western culture about 45 miles out of St. Louis. You are not going to see the large texan style ranges or the arid desertscapes of Arizona or New Mexico. But the change is there and apparent.
(on a side note: one could argue that the change from eastern culture to midwestern culture is around Pittsburgh or Buffalo. new thread?)
yeah, i know everyone says it's St. Louis. but imo that doesn't fly in the 21st century. Missouri is way more like back east than like the west coast.
Tell that to the gabillion businesses in the Lou that have "Gateway" or the Arch in their names.
And the National Parks folks too, while you're at it.
We're not talking about the coast, as you mention in your last sentence, we're talking about the "Gateway To The West", remember?
Tell that to the gabillion businesses in the Lou that have "Gateway" or the Arch in their names.
And the National Parks folks too, while you're at it.
We're not talking about the coast, as you mention in your last sentence, we're talking about the "Gateway To The West", remember?
150 years ago, yeah. And it's a cute nickname I don't think they should give it up. But it's not really true anymore. It's like Salt Lake City calling themselves the "Gateway To The East".
Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma are the Great Plains which is the MidWest.
As a lifelong Arizonan I can tell you I have heard St. Louis referred to as "back East".
For Oklahoma there is geographic association in part with the states you listed, but not cultural. Oklahoma falls more in line with Tejas and Arkansas culturally.
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