Population (2010) 749 Introduction Driving through Brooklyn, there’s barely a hint of the town’s long history as a refuge and enclave for African American freedom. The oldest incorporated black-majority town in the US, Brooklyn has seen good times and bad, but today’s residents are hoping that honoring their past
Population (2010) 14 Introduction It’s been 250 years since France governed the Mississippi Valley, but their influence is still alive along the Mississippi River from St. Louis to Sainte Genevieve. Many of these communities pre-date the founding of New Orleans and have preserved impressive remnants of their earlier days.
Population (2010) 1,890 Introduction The third leg of the old Tri-Cities region (with Madison and Granite City), Venice has been around longer than the other two but has arguably suffered more as the area’s factories closed. The city today is a shell of its former self, having lost 70%
Population (2010) 3,891 Introduction Part of Tri-Cities with Granite City and Venice, Madison was home to an amazing mix of ethnic neighborhoods for a city of its size. Add in the machine politics that ruled the city for decades, and Madison looks a lot like Chicago in miniature, at
Population (2010) 27,891 Introduction Alton is a city with a layered history that is worth the time to explore. When you’re done, take a drive along the Mississippi River up to Grafton, which is one of the most scenic stretches of the Great River Road; it can be very
Population (2010) 38,109 Introduction It’s as far south as you can go and still call it the Upper Mississippi River, and you’ll notice some big changes. The air is getting warmer and thicker. The bluffs begin to give way to the delta plains, and the culture starts to feel
