Project - Re-Imagining the United States

[Midgardsormr]

Regarding Sedgwick County and surrounds currently residing in Ogallala: The city of Wichita strongly influences the surrounding area. I'd argue that Butler county at least would be in the same state as Sedgwick, and possibly Cowley. Cowley is also strongly influenced by Tulsa, though, which is in Osage. I think the tipping point for where Cowley would fall is the location of next-door Sumner County. There is a strong link between Arkansas City and Winfield in Cowley with Wellington in Sumner.

Kansas City/St Joseph is likewise messy, being divided into three states. I know a lot of the towns on the Kansas side, as far west as Lawrence, are far more affected by KC's powerful economy than they are Topeka's political influence.

[TregMallin]

Having grown up around Chicago, it is most definitely a city-state unto itself, with the collar counties of Cook, DuPage and Lake in the orbit as "the Chicagoland Area". Lumping it in with south-eastern Wisconsin doesn't seem right at all. (Perhaps Chicago could annex Lake Geneva, WI in much the same way as they annexed the land out to O'Hare. *heh* Lot's of Illinois plates in LG in the summertime.)

Wisconsin (where my family comes from on both sides) has a sort of east/west demarcation as you've described. I'm still trying to sort out how Milwaukee (Mom's side) fits in with Taylor County (Dad's side). Both are fairly different from south-western Wisconsin (wife's family).

Edit: I'm chuckling at how small Missouri got. My folks always joked that, in fact, Iowa was not a real place at all and was just a blend of South Minnesota and North Missouri. Especially Keokuk, where our friends were from.

[Christopher Powell]

Kansas City/St Joseph is likewise messy, being divided into three states. I know a lot of the towns on the Kansas side, as far west as Lawrence, are far more affected by KC's powerful economy than they are Topeka's political influence.

This all harkens back to confusion on the original intent. Is this supposed to be based on re-imagining of how the states would have developed differently than they are today if they had emerged in the same manner that European states did? Or is it a redrawing of the map based on current cultural divides? It seems to be an undefined mixture of both.

Yes, KC has more cultural influence than Topeka (by a long shot). But there is also two distinct sides to KC. The MO side is superficially opposed to the KS side. Now, in reality, there is not much distinguishing the two sides from one another, but the first thing a KC native is going to tell you (after their favorite BBQ joint) is which side of the state line they live on. This is an arbitrary line, but, it has manifested itself into a real cultural distinction.

I will grant that at the time of Topeka's founding KC was already well established. So it is more likely to have developed as the capital (in other words, this was a bad one to quibble on). But I think the author's intentions in this matter would go a great deal towards deciding some of these tough decisions.

[Ilanthar]

I just wondered if you ever seen this kind of data. It's based on a census of "what city do you feel the closest city to you".

USstat.jpg
I stumbled on it when looking for another kind of map.

[xotoxi]

Attachment 57351Updated map. Does anyone have suggestions for any of the following:
1. What to name the states of Former Kentucky, Middle Tennessee/N Alabama, Indiana/Western Ohio?
2. Should the small new states of Maryland/Southern PA and the Philadelphia area be merged? What to name them/it? Capital(s)?
3. Would the Carolinas make more sense if they were divided east and west into Tidewater/Piedmont regions?
Thanks!

1. North Ohio & South Ohio named after the river that runs between them. Tennesee for the southernmost state named for the river that runs through it.
2. Combine the two states and name it Keystone. Capital could be a newly constructed capital at Holtsville, PA on the Susquehanna. That location seems to be equidistant to Baltimore and Philly. Alternative name: Susquehanna.