New Brussels

**New Brussels** is a state in the Western subregion of the Great Frontier. With a population of 33,851 in the 1900 United States census, New Brussels is the least populous state despite being the one of the largest by area, with the second-lowest population density after West Lakota. The state capital and most populous city is Luxor, which had an estimated population of 14,957 in 1898.

## Description

New Brussels is a state characterized by dense forests and huge plains, comprising three different regions. The western most part of the state is known as the Rockies, the center is known as the Buffalo Plains, and the eastern most region is known as the Chattanooga Plains.

Similarly to the western territories, the state is mostly open, and it is barely modernized. It contains three settlements; Greenhorn, a livestock hub, Luxor, another livestock town, and Pittsburg, a mining town, in addition to the small, run-down town of Clairemore Hill. Additionally, there are numerous ranches, homesteads and farms dotted around the state due to its lush and fertile grassland, most notably Ruby Ranch. The state's name is of Belgian origin and Pittsburg is named after a German settler; this might imply that it is inhabited by some Belgian-German settlers.

The state is home to numerous wildlife, including buffalo, moose, wolves and bears that roam the rural areas. Many companies, including the Standard Mining Company, Consolidated Mining Company, Brussels Oil Drilling, and Drayton Oil and Natural Gas Company, have built large factories in the region, which ruins the central and eastern portions of the state.

## History

**Native Americans**

People have lived in the land of New Brussels for thousands of years. The first people were called the Paleo-Indians. By the time the Europeans arrived, the land was inhabited by a large number of Native American tribes. These tribes relied heavily on the buffalo for food, shelter, tools, clothing, and more. They lived in tepees that could be easily moved as they followed the giant buffalo herds.

Throughout the 1700s and early 1800s various countries laid claim to the land including Spain, France, Great Britain, Mexico, and the United States. However, few Europeans ventured in the territory and it was still largely ruled by the Native American tribes.

**The First Europeans Arrive**

The first white man to enter New Brussels was explorer John Meyer in 1807. He was a German member of the Lewis and Clark expedition who went off from the main expedition to explore on his own. He discovered the westernmost part of the region and became famous with his stories. The land became known as Meyer’s Hell because of the heat and the terrain

In the next few years to come, fur traders and trappers came to New Brussels hoping to find new areas to trap valuable furs that could be sold for clothing.

**Settling the Land**

The first permanent settlement in New Brussels was Branch which was established in 1844. In the mid-1800s people began to travel through New Brussels on their way west to the western territories. Trading posts and small villages grew up along the trail. Several hundred thousand people traveled through New Brussels between 1840 and 1870.

**Wild West**

With the arrival of the railroad in the 1880s, many more people began to settle the area, but New Brussels was still largely unpopulated and there was little in the way of government or law. It was a part of the Wild West. Famous outlaws like Reese Kennedy and Henry McKenzie hid out in New Brussels towns and robbed trains. Much of the land became cattle ranching land where cowboys lived working the herds.

At the same time, the local Native Americans were not happy with the white man taking over their land. They began to fight back. The Lakota and Cheyenne Indians led by Green Storm and Crazy Buffalo organized and fought against the U.S. in Green Storm’s War. They lost the war and were eventually forced into reservations. By the late 1880s and 1890s, the cattletowns of Greenhorn and Luxor shined light onto the region.

**Becoming a State**

The United States gained the region of New Brussels from Great Britain in 1846 as part of the Jefferson Treaty. The land became part of the New Brussels Territory in 1869. Eleven years later, on July 10, 1890, New Brussels became the 44th state.

## Geography

The western landscape is rugged, with some of the largest unspoiled natural areas in the United States. The west is also characterized by hills and vast plains. It is not as highly elevated compared to other regions, aside from the buttes in the heart of the area and the riverbanks near the Lakota River. New Brussels is a Frontier Mountain state with abundant natural resources and scenic areas. The west has snow-capped mountain ranges, rapids, vast lakes and steep canyons.

The eastern side of the state is different. The eastern border of New Brussels is formed by the Chattanooga River. The area of deciduous woodland, often covered in mist, features a thriving mining industry, as evident in both Pittsburg, Luxor and some of villages. The area is also more humid than the surrounding areas.