How the States Got Their Shapes

[vtk]

I find this to be a very interesting series on the tv channel H2. Currently watching the episode "use it or lose it" which spend quite a bit of time on Ohio. Next up is "great plains, trains, and automobiles" which sounds promising.

[Brandon]

I find this to be a very interesting series on the tv channel H2. Currently watching the episode "use it or lose it" which spend quite a bit of time on Ohio. Next up is "great plains, trains, and automobiles" which sounds promising.

Great series, IMHO.  Saw it originally on History, and have the DVD set.  Apparently they're going to have a second season (there's enough material out there).

[formulanone]

I always think of the episode of The Simpsons where Jebediah Springfield and Shelby get in an argument about whether their own cousins look good or not, when they founded their town by misinterpreting a line in the Bible.

[tdindy88]

Of course, when they talked about Forgotonia in western Illinois, they failed to mention that Interstate 72 now goes west from Springfield over to the Mississippi River.

[texaskdog]

It's cheezy but fun.  I think I saw them all.  I don't think they mention I-180!

[texaskdog]

They should do a show on highways! 

[tchafe1978]

I found the show to be very interesting. They even had a segment on one episode about Green Bay and a little tidbit about how the UP of Michigan went to Michigan and not Wisconsin.

[pianocello]

I have the book and saw a few episodes of the series. The book goes into more detail about all the existing borders, but I like how they mentioned the states that never came to be in the series.

[Brandon]

Of course, when they talked about Forgotonia in western Illinois, they failed to mention that Interstate 72 now goes west from Springfield over to the Mississippi River.

I-72 (really US-36) was extended after the Forgottonia stuff happened.  Ditto for the four-laning of US-67 and IL-336.  Forgottonia was the reason these came to be.

[MDRoads]

The "great plains, trains, and automobiles" episode also goes into the semi-related topic of time zone shifts, if you're into that as well.

[triplemultiplex]

Good to hear History has another season of this show in the queue.  Get some actual history back on that channel for once instead of boring reality shows and made-up alien bullshit.

I always think of the episode of The Simpsons where Jebediah Springfield and Shelby get in an argument about whether their own cousins look good or not, when they founded their town by misinterpreting a line in the Bible.

Ahh, "Lemon of Troy"; one of the greatest Simpsons episodes of all time.

Jebediah Springfield: People, our search is over!  On this site we shall build a new
          town where we can worship freely, govern justly, and grow vast
          fields of hemp for making rope and blankets.
Shelbyville Manhattan: Yes, and marry our cousins.
Jebediah Springfield: I was... wh.. what are you talking about, Shelbyville?  Why would
          we want to marry our cousins?
Shelbyville Manhattan: Because they're so attractive.  I.. I thought that was the
          whole point of this journey.
Jebediah Springfield: Absolutely not!
Shelbyville Manhattan: I tell you, I won't live in a town that robs men of the right
          to marry their cousins!
Jebediah Springfield: Well, then, we'll form our own town.  Who will come and live a
          life devoted to chastity, abstinence, and a flavorless mush I
          call rootmarm?

John Schwartzwelder is a comedy writing genius.  He wrote all the best episodes.  All of my favorites, it seems.