My Mississippi Manifest Destiny--Metropolis

Back in Metropolis, circuses and elephants
Where the oranges grew
Back in Metropolis nothing can ever topple us
When I'm standing with you
The Church, "Metropolis," 1990

Near the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers is Metropolis, Illinois. Superman's hometown. Of course Superman's real hometown is the mythical Smallville, Illinois, which of course isn't too different than Ray Bradbury's equally mythical Green Town, Illinois. Clark Kent, Superman that is, moved on the the make-believe Metropolis, a stand-in for New York..


The people of Metropolis came up with a unique idea to market their town, which predates the casino boat there. Since the southern Illinois town is believed to be the only municipality named Metropolis, they declared themselves the home town of the immigrant from the planet Krypton. So they erected a statue of the superhero, in front of the courthouse, this statue. Across the street from the statue is a Superman memorabilia shop--this statue makes a contribution to the economy of the small town. Of course, once in the town, Superman fans might fill up their gas tanks, grab something to eat, or try their luck in the casino.

The late Senator Paul Simon (D-IL), once remarked on a town in Illinois that turned a gravesite of a circus elephant into a tourist attraction, claiming it added to jobs to the town that wouldn't have been there otherwise. Simon said something like this, "Find out what is unique about your town, and capitalize on it." I couldn't figure out what town the bow-tied one was talking about, as Taylorville and Oquawka have circus elephant memorials. The Oquawka elephant was killed by a lightning strike, my guess this is the town Simon was referring to--the memorial is in the center of the small town.

Later in this series, I'm going to touch on a similar theme about a larger town in Mississippi.

Related post:

My Mississippi Manifest Destiny--The Trail of Tears

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