Where in Missouri does the South begin? (St. Louis, Springfield: centers, assess)

[MoSouthernMan]

Originally Posted by GunnerTHB

Wrong. Where I grew up is unincorporated.

This has to be a record for how long you have been posting with a new username without being banned onegoal.

Well close enough. Not going to nitpick unincorporated, corporated. I don't have that much time on my hands.

[MoSouthernMan]

Hey THB since you go to school not far from fort leonard wood, Pulaski county I was wondering have you ever heard any stories about people especially minorities being warned to be careful when leaving base especially at night? I've seen that posted on city data a few times and have read on other post on the internet about the backwoods around Pulaski county not exactly being very safe.

Not saying it's like that today, but when we drove in that area I brought that up to my dad since he was stationed there in the late 1960s and he told me basically the same thing. How the Waynesville area was full of Rednecks/ridgerunners and such and how he basically heard the same thing when he was stationed there to be careful outside of base especially at night. He said that there also had been bodies found in the woods before they would hear about.

I doubt it's like that today men in white robes or banjo playing rubes running after people in the middle of the night who venture into the wrong areas, but just curious if you ever hear of anything like that before from the locals?

I always thought it was just urban legend from back in the day, but when I asked my dad about it he sounded serious about it.

I mean that area of southern MO deep in the Ozarks I can see them not being open to outsiders but whenever I heard those claims about the area I always wonder.

Today in the Ozarks I'd be more worried coming across a drug dealer.

[Curmudgeon]

Simple answer, where the North ends!

[cyrano]

Originally Posted by Curmudgeon

Simple answer, where the North ends!

Thank you. Now that the question's settled, can we please drop it?

(I only wish....)

[stlouisan]

Originally Posted by Dawn10am

Some are

Sorry, should have mended the statement to say most Missourians aren't.

[stlouisan]

Originally Posted by MoSouthernMan

Well some Missourian's are southerners though, depending on what part of the state you're in. If you're from Branson, or Sikeston you're not midwestern. THB is from Jackson and considers himself to be southern.

Obviously. I meant most Missourians aren't Southerners.

[GunnerTHB]

Originally Posted by MoSouthernMan

Well close enough. Not going to nitpick unincorporated, corporated. I don't have that much time on my hands.

Really? Yet you posted on this thread at 2:20 and 3:30 AM this morning? Seems to me you have way too much time on your hands, actually.

[stlouisan]

Originally Posted by imbored198824

OH MY. You would be all over my case if I said something like "Missourians aren't midwesterners." I am actually born and raised in Missouri and proud to be southern. Maybe you should rephrase how you said that? lol......"SOME Missourians aren't southerners".

Some Missourians aren't Southerners? How about MOST Missourians aren't Southerners, which is what I meant to write? You obviously believe most of Missouri is Southern...that is pure insanity. You want to know how many Missourians are Southerners...look at the line of Southern American English established by the University of Pennsylvania...that tells you that most of Missouri ISN'T Southern.

[stlouisan]

Originally Posted by Curmudgeon

Simple answer, where the North ends!

It's not that simple, though. There's a transition zone in between the two that makes up 1/4 of the state...starting from about U.S. Highway 50 and ending around U.S. Highway 60.

[MoSouthernMan]

Originally Posted by stlouisan

It's not that simple, though. There's a transition zone in between the two that makes up 1/4 of the state...starting from about U.S. Highway 50 and ending around U.S. Highway 60.

Agree! Except for eastern MO I wouldnt use US 60 as much because it dips pretty far south. For the Ozarks it's a better line. BEcasue in eastern MO you can go 30 miles north of it and you're still in the south like Advance Missouri for example is 30 miles north of it and is still pretty southern. THB has a map of Eastern MO that shows his south dividing line. I think his line extends west from outside of Cape on up highway 72 from Jackson. Also using highway 60 Benton MO wouldn't be considered Dixie too and we all know that is southern.

I generally say 10-20 miles north of highway 60 on southwards in MO is pretty southern. As the map you make I agree with central MO the southern spike jets north of bit as the Univ of PA map shows as well.

From US50 on southwards I totally agree with you about being a transition zone except for Perry and Ste Gen. I would exclude those two counties. Even Jefferson County is pretty midwestern but the southern parts of the county I do pick up some hints of the transition zone begining.

Also since you mention us 50, what about the little dixie areas you mentioned about having some noticeable influences you said? That is closer to US 70.

But for Springfield that is a good line. Springfield I noticed a lot of southern influence but still some midwestern in it though, but as soon as I left town town and crossed where US 60 is it feels VERY southern all the way down to the Indian Point, Branson area I stayed in.

I still say I44 is a great highway to travel on here to experience the gradual transition from the midwest in Stl county to the gradual increasingly southern influence as you leave stl county. You notice it in places like Cuba, St. James, Rolla but once you get near Waynesville the southern influences become quite more evident, then when you get just south of springfield it totally feels southern to me and not any real hints of the midwest anymore.

US 50 on southward to 10-20 miles north of us60 to me is a cultural crossroads imo. You have the midwest, the Ozarks culture, and southern culture all mixed into one. A sampling of all. The counties bordering the MS river though we all know it's a sudden change in Cape Girardeau county with hardly any transition.