Cities of the heartland
Subtitle: the rise and fall of the industrial Midwest
By: Jon C. Teaford.
Series: Midwestern history and culture
Publisher: Indiana University Press
Published: 1993
Place of publication: Bloomington
Language: eng
Number of pages: 300
Subjects: Cities and towns -- Middle West -- History; Industries -- Middle West -- History; Urbanization -- Middle West -- History
Description: During the 1880s and '90s, the rise of manufacturing, the first soaring skyscrapers, new symphony orchestras and art museums, and winning baseball teams all heralded the midwestern city's coming of age. In this book, Jon C. Teaford chronicles the development of these cities of the industrial Midwest as they challenged the urban supremacy of the East. The antebellum growth of Cincinnati to Queen City status was followed by its eclipse, as St. Louis and then Chicago developed into industrial and cultural centers. During the second quarter of the twentieth century, emerging Sunbelt cities began to rob the heartland of its distinction as a boom area. In the last half of the century, however, midwestern cities have suffered some of their most trying times. With the 1970s and '80s came signs of age and obsolescence; the heartland had become the "rust belt."" "Teaford examines the complex "heartland consciousness" of the industrial Midwest through boom and bust. Geographically, economically, and culturally, the midwestern city is "a legitimate subspecies of urban life.--[book jacket].
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. [256]-294) and index.