The most traditional, conservative town/county/areas in the US (vs, agriculture)

[Thomas R.]

They don't have to be, but ideally a conservative should be traditional. The terms are in a way intimately related. Well in theory.

In practice among people it's not uncommon for people who call themselves "conservative" to essentially be Right-wing progressives. They want to denigrate or downgrade traditions that sound "Left-wing" and to support imprudent innovations in the name of Capitalism or Defense. Although rarer I've seen "liberals" who are actually Left-wing conservative who believe in precedent and prudence as well as the New-Deal tradition. Or even the Christian tradition of skepticism toward Capitalism and war. I'm rare among college educated people in that I relate to, and sympathize with, Left-wing conservatives more than I do Right-wing Progressives.

I imagine I am generally fine with the New England states-rights to maintain their traditions as they have many fine ones. They also have some that I might not relate to, like having a relatively strong amount of Unitarians and some tradition of supporting government regulation. (As the Puritan tradition of moralistic government is sometimes argued to have just been transmuted into an emphasis on things like smoking bans, etc) Still as long as they don't try to remake other places into New England's image I'd say it's cool.

[CoffeeAndBeer]

Outstate Missouri isn't exactly pure as the driven snow, it can be a little grittier than other areas in more affluent areas of the true south. I keep hearing it mentioned, so I thought I'd add my two cents. Perhaps the primary difference is that people cover up their misbehavior better in some areas of the south (while sometimes behaving worse).

Small town Indiana sounds like the closest thing I can think of to what the poster is looking for.

[sandlapper]

Upstate South Carolina for sure (Greenville, Spartanburg, Anderson, Clemson...etc)

[canudigit]

I second the suggestion of Greenville, SC. Bob Jones University (an ultra-conservative Baptist school) is there and it seems to have a very far reaching influence on the entire area. We use a homeschool curriculum from BJU that constantly reinforces the very things that you are looking for. If I could move to Greenville, I would do it in a heartbeat, as I tend to be very like minded with you and feel very "at home" whenever I am in that area.

[tvdxer]

Judging small-town (northern / central) Minnesota or (northwestern) Wisconsin by your standards...

Originally Posted by oldtimebanjo

I'm looking for a place where every speaks English

Check! This is white-bread, homogeneous country.

and everyone is Christian and goes out to Church on Sunday.

The religious distinctions in Minnesota and Wisconsin are generally Lutheran vs. Catholic, both of which have active congregations.

I'm looking for a place where having a party doesn't involve getting drunk or smoking pot.

Unfortunately, Minnesotans and Wisconsinites are among the most assiduous drinkers in the country.

I'm looking for the most traditional place in America. Somewhere that is as close to pre civil war as possible. Where all the kids say ma'am or sir and they dress properly, they have manners and open the door for people.

Other than the "pre-civil war" (didn't they drink even more back then?) and "ma'am or sir" (it isn't a lack of respect thing, it just isn't the way people are here), you've got yourself a match.

A place where people drive American cars and fly American flags.

Check. The main vehicle in small-town Minnesota and Wisconsin is a full-size American pick-up truck, driven disproportionately by cap-wearing males of all ages.

I'm looking for an area where I can go to a McDonalds or get my lawn cut by someone who is actually an American.

Check. Once a bus driver from Atlanta was staying at the same hotel as me, and not having a laptop at the time, I had to use the hotel's public computer. We had a conversation, and he mentioned that "everybody who works here is American". Your food from McDonalds is likely to be served by a local high school student; your lawn is likely to be cut by the same.

Somewhere where people play traditional Old time music and bluegrass.

I think you're thinking more of traditional Southeastern / hillbilly / Appalachian
music. However, modern country rules in small Minnesota and Wisconsin towns.

I'm looking for a place that is NOT "multi-cultural". Please do not answer "any place in the South" because it's just not that way anymore.

Northern Minnesota and Northwestern Wisconsin are about as far from multi-cultural as it can get (excluding the Indian reservations).

[canudigit]

Hmm...small town Wisconsin and Minnesota sound exactly like small town Michigan (where I live) and small town northwestern Ohio (where I grew up). Pick-up trucks, Top 40 country music, beer, and I'll bet deer hunting in season is huge there as well. No "m'am" or "sir" as a rule, and a few hispanics is about as multi-cultural as it gets. Seeing a black person living in most small towns in Michigan would be somewhat unusual. It's not a hate thing, they have just never felt the need or desire to move there, I guess. White, middle to lower middle class, Lutheran, Methodist, Catholic, or Baptist (but not all that many), everyone knows everyone else, spaghetti dinner fundraisers, donkey basketball, craft sales, and Fourth of July parades, Friday night high school football (be there or be square!)... that's small town Michigan and northwestern Ohio.

Back to the OP though, I still say that your best bet would be upstate South Carolina, particularly the Greenville area. Go there and drive around, preferably on a Sunday morning. Tons of people going to church and dressed traditionally and conservatively, and probably one of the few places in America where you may actually still hear "M'am" or "Sir" come out of the mouths of children. It's also an awesome location in terms of things to do, what with being very close to the mountains and only a few hours from the beach.

[sandlapper]

Originally Posted by canudigit

If I could move to Greenville, I would do it in a heartbeat, as I tend to be very like minded with you and feel very "at home" whenever I am in that area.

Oh no, I'm not conservative by any means, that's why I left Greenville as soon as I could (one year to realize it wasn't for me, and the second to find a way to leave). That place made me feel everything other than home. But if conservative is what you are looking for it is definately a stronghold.

[canudigit]

Originally Posted by sandlapper

Oh no, I'm not conservative by any means, that's why I left Greenville as soon as I could (one year to realize it wasn't for me, and the second to find a way to leave). That place made me feel everything other than home. But if conservative is what you are looking for it is definately a stronghold.

I should have clarified, but when I said "like minded with you" I was referring to the OP, not to you, so sorry if I didn't make that clear.

I'm not by any means someone who wears only dresses and pantyhose (I don't even own a pair of pantyhose, lol!), and I tend to feel that the BJU crowd is quite a bit more conservative than I am in regards to dress, etc. but I do have very old-fashioned, conservative values that translate well to that area. Plus, I have always had a certain love for the entire state of South Carolina, more so than any other state in the Southeast. I would move anywhere in SC in a heartbeat!

[sandlapper]

^No Worries!

[Smtchll]

Chesterfield MO is the most typical, traditional, white-bread place I've ever been. I was in the mall and it seemed like everyone there had a perfect family, with a little Jack & Susie. You know what I mean. I guess suburbs all across the country are like that, but this place was extreme.