The Land of the Midwestern Region of this Great Nation: Counties Whose Names Ring True to the Nature of the Land
(text from brochure created for the County Museum)

Information Regarding the History of the Midwest and the Region's Influence on the County Naming Syste.
The States in the Midwestern Region Are:
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Michigan
Minnesota
Ohio
Wisconsin

Midwesterners are alternately viewed as open, friendly, and straightforward, or sometimes stereotyped as unsophisticated
and stubborn. Factors that probably affected the shaping of Midwest values include the agricultural values inculcated by
the hardy pioneers who settled the area. The Midwest remains a melting pot of Protestantism and Calvinism , mistrustful of
authority and power.

Characteristics that Define The Landmass:
These states are generally perceived as being relatively flat. That is true of large areas, but there is a measure of
geographical variation. In particular, the eastern Midwest lying within the foothills of the Appalachians, and the Great Lakes
basin and northern parts of Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa demonstrate a high degree of topographical variety. Prairie
covers most of the states west of the Mississippi with the exception of eastern Minnesota and the Ozarks of southern Missouri. Illinois lies within an area called the "prairie peninsula," an eastward extension of prairies that borders deciduous forests to the north, east, and south.

History of the Naming of the Landmass:
The term "Middle West" originated in the 19th century, followed by "Midwest" and " Heartland ", and referred to generally
the same areas and states in the region. The heart of the Midwest is bounded by the Great Lakes and the Ohio and Mississippi River Valleys. In everyday speech the region is almost universally referred to simply as the Midwest, and most Americans would identify the region as the sociocultural (if not geographic) center of the nation. Many of the original residents of the Midwestern states were settlers from the colonies who were awarded land grants and migrated there, along with immigrants from central and northern Europe.  

The Area Became the First Thoroughly American Region.

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