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About this City Journal

Alas, with real life, I have to put my already infrequent updates on hold for some time. I promise to come back to this CJ in the future though! Grant County is located somewhere in the...

Entries in this City Journal

ixnayonthetimmay
Grant County had been blessed eons ago by walls of ice packed miles high. The movement and erosion of the ice pack during the Ice Age left pock marks throughout the landscape. As a result, lakes, streams, rivers and ponds dot and dash the area. This makes Grant County a great place for recreation and allowed it to become the rickety rowboat and tranquil photography capital of the world! Below is a map of Grant County taking into consideration only the natural features of the landscape. There's exists a...
ixnayonthetimmay
Greetings all! I am still here and, despite Real Life getting in the way, still attempting to give this journal some update love whenever possible. I present to you here another City Highlight! In the last post, we looked at how the core city of Grant County, Centropolis, had matured to a burgeoning metropolitan core, ready to spread out over the landscape like a B-movie blob. Here we now look at Oakridge Park, a town whose proximity to Downtown Centropolis proved to be a test case for this urban sprawl...
ixnayonthetimmay
The height of the Gilded Age and turn-of-the-century optimism had not yet been interrupted by the darkness of the Great War. And at this time the reforms of the City Beautiful movement were sweeping the nation, including Centropolis. This update will, instead of looking at the region as a whole, will focus instead on the City of Centropolis, finally taking a closer look the Center City of Grant County. By 1910, the landscape of Grant County was still dominated by agriculture. But the urban seeds planted...
ixnayonthetimmay
My apologies in advance for what is really a slim and uninspired update. I blame the hustle, bustle and laziness that is entailed in the holiday season. So, um, yeah! Nestled in the north of Grant County, hidden off the beaten path lies a tiny, spit-in-the-bucket settlement called Northfield. Barely meeting the legal requirements for an incorporated town, Northfield is what we smug city-dwellers might refer to as a "one horse town." But since their horse had to historically be shared between the Marshal...
ixnayonthetimmay
After the big growth of big industry in Grant County (see Stage 3 Update for background), a bustling town did emerge in the southeast, rising fast at once to rival the county seat of Centropolis in population and influence. Overly dependent on the amusingly-named automobile industry, the flaring growth of the City of Taylerville would soon be dimmed. However the spark that caused this town to burst in growth almost overnight would make a great story to tell, if only I were a better storyteller. But since I...
ixnayonthetimmay
Ah, yes. Who doesn't love the smell of dark pollutants in the morning? That's not burning petroleum and arsenic you smell, that's progress! Stage Two brought the railways to the Centropolis metro area, and on the heels of this foundation came, at the turn of the century, a boost in mining and industry to the agrarian Grant County. After the opening of the Union Specific rail line and stations in core cities, the population of Grant County boomed. Demand for such essentials as asbestos curtains, medical...
ixnayonthetimmay
Located somewhere west of downtown is a sleepy little burg. Sprouting up along the banks of the Blue River lies Maplewood, a blue-collar town that would become one of the largest suburban cities of Centropolis. This highlight looks at Maplewood as of Development Stage 2 of the regular city journal updates. Above is a Wikipedia-style locator map showing Maplewood's location in Grant County at Stage 2. And following are some quick facts about the town. -Located in it's namesake township (Maplewood...
ixnayonthetimmay
"If you build it, they will come," or so goes the saying. That's not really always true though. In fact, building a prison or foul-smelling landfill is a pretty good way to make them not come. But a lot of times, building it and building it well will make people want to be near whatever it is. Like, say for instance, a railroad line! Grant County had, during the formative years, had the honor of hosting, apart from a few short spur lines, two moderately-traveled main lines built by the Union Specific Rail...
ixnayonthetimmay
It is said that those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it. And it would be quite embarassing for people whoweren't aware of the founding and settling of these lands to try and settle them again. There might be a few scuffles with the people already there, but nothing that a few broken treaties can't solve... Grant County was founded in Eighteen Aught Neuf by this man: No one has any idea of his name, but who the hell cares? The lands that make up Grant County and the surrounding areas were acquired...
ixnayonthetimmay
Most quadranglists and 18th Century revolutionary philosophers agree: neatly ordered grids are sexy. And so the greatest result of the Northwest Ordinance and the Public Land Survey System is that these grids can now be seen from satellite imagery. Sure some detractors cry that grid-based development is conducive to urban sprawl, leading to longer commutes, obesity and social isolation. And sure, some will say that the unyielding grid all but prevents any modicum of smart urban planning and development....
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