Cities to replace Chicago?

There's also this equally magical thing called the Great Lakes and Erie Canal that crushed the hopes of the Mississippi trade to dominate the West, which led to the duality of NYC and Chicago. Then at the same time a more magical thing called railroads, beginning with the Mowawk-Hudson RR which became the NYCRR which connected NYC to Chicago. This all before 1830; by 1840 New Orleans is 3rd largest city in the US; but... by 1850-60 New Orleans begins to slide down the top ten list (5th and then 6th), by 1870 it's 9th. What does New Orleans have to do with Memphis? A decline in NO's relative importance shows a decline in the economic ability of the Mississippi. And you continue to harp on this transcontinental RR that was never anything more than a Southerners wet dream because they were jealous of northern industry and transportation.

I never once mentioned New Orleans, and if you think that's what I was describing you need to go read up on the Mississippi and it's geography. Memphis has always been a hub of transportation, that's just a fact. And seeing as the southern railroad had consistent backing and at one hands was under the ownership of Fremont of all people, I think that invalidates your point that the "southerners were jealous." I don't think the southerners were ever jealous of northern industry, until it bit them in the ads during the war.

I get the feeling that you really don't like the south, and see the whole country at least at this point in history, as New York or some extension of it.
 
Chicago has grown so large mainly because of its relatively central location leading to it being a hub of transportation, as I understand it. So what cities could possibly take the place of Chicago to become one of the larger cities in the nation? Could the Twin Cities in Minnesota be it? Milwaukee? St. Louis? Memphis?
I would suggest Duluth or a city in Michigan, possibly salut st Marie?

I like the idea of my home city of St. Paul or our neighbor of Minneapolis becoming a replacement.
 
Easy. Ozarks are fairly narrow in North-South direction. And between Ozarks and Ouachitas, Arkansas River is itself navigable.
The problem is that actual mouth of Arkansas River is across Mississippi from Delta - not across bluffs of either Memphis or Vicksburg.
What would be/was best rail route from Little Rock across Mississippi valley?
Memphis and Little Rock Railway showed the problems of crossing Mississippi valley by rail.
 
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