The Rust Belt Never Sleeps Trivia Quiz

Answer: Walter Mondale

During the 1984 presidential race, Mondale noted that President Reagan's economic policies were further harming the industrial sector in what was previously called the "Steel Belt", creating a "Rust Bowl," which was subsequently misquoted as "Rust Belt."

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Answer: Mack - trucks

The song lyrics state "Well, we're living here in Allentown and they're closing all the factories down," which likely refers to the mills in Allentown and nearby Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Mack trucks are still manufactured in Macungie, PA, very close to the company headquarters in Allentown.

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Answer: The Bronze Fonz

Although Milwaukee is situated in the Rust Belt, the statue of the iconic figure of Arthur Fonzarelli, known as Fonzie, or The Fonz, is cast from bronze. "Happy Days" was set in 1950s-1960s Milwaukee and presented a view of Midwestern life, when the city was growing to become one of the largest cities in the United States. The statue can be found on the Milwaukee Riverwalk and was commissioned to promote tourism. Milwaukee has experienced some economic recovery from the "Rust Belt" days, with decreased unemployment and poverty.

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Answer: World War II

The steel mills were in operation 24 hours a day and produced 95 million tons of steel to aid in the Second World War. The steel industry collapsed during the 1980s, leading to a period of economic weakness. Due to a change in direction towards education, tourism and robotic technology, the city itself has seen economic regeneration since.

The American Civil War was responsible for boosting the city's economy due to the demand for iron and armaments, and Andrew Carnegie sowed the seed of the steel industry off the back of it. The Great Famine was responsible for large quantities of Irish immigrants who helped in the rebuilding of Pittsburgh following The Great Fire in 1845.

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Answer: 1950s

One obvious impact of the loss of manufacturing employment is the loss of population as people move to follow the jobs. As the automotive plants near Detroit declined, this led to a great exodus, which further erodes the tax base and makes it harder to attract new citizens to the area. Detroit saw the largest population loss of any US city in the 2010s.

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Answer: Cleveland

Operating from 1870 until 1911 when it was ruled an illegal monopoly, Standard Oil was for decades the largest petroleum company in the world and its founder, John D. Rockefeller was the wealthiest person in the world at the time. The city of Cleveland, Ohio, was a major reason for the growth of Standard Oil. Several oil refineries were located in Cleveland and the Erie Canal provided a cheap form of transporting the oil.

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Answer: Fort Wayne, IN

John Chapman was a keen gardener who wandered from state to state planting nurseries and spreading the gospel. He was commonly known as Johnny Appleseed, as many remembered him planting apple seeds rather than other plants. Chapman died in Fort Wayne in 1945. In 1974, Fort Wayne held a Johnny Appleseed Festival in Archer Park. Since then the festival has grown in size and the park has grown with it, now named Johnny Appleseed Park. The festival is a period festival with all vendors attired in costume, all crafts made, trades demonstrated, and food prepared done in the way they were in the 1800s.

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Answer: Chicago

Chicago, Illinois, is the third largest US city and is a major transportation hub for all forms of travel. It is home to two major airports, O'Hare and Midway. Midway mainly has domestic flights while O'Hare is a major international airport. Chicago sits on Lake Michigan, which connects the interior of the US to both the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. Most major railways run through Chicago, connecting the east, west, north and south. Chicago also logistically is a hub for trucking due to many major US highways running through or nearby. The cities of the "Rust Belt" grew as manufacturing hubs due to the readily available transport routes via canal, rivers and railroads.

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Answer: Goodyear

When the three companies closed down operations in Akron, 35,000 jobs were lost. Due to The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company remaining and working in partnership with other companies, the University of Akron, and the office of the city mayor, the city has become renowned as the centre of polymer research, revitilising the area.

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Answer: 1953

The backbone industry of the Rust Belt for many decades was the manufacturing sector, which spawned the growth of cities like Detroit, Cleveland, Buffalo and Pittsburgh. In 1953, manufacturing comprised 28% of U.S. GDP which was more than double any other sector. However, manufacturing's percentage of GDP dropped significantly from 1966 to 2003. From 2003 to 2020 the % ranged from 11% to 13%. This decline unfortunately contributed to a significant drop in employment in the manufacturing sector and a migration of people moving away from cities in the Rust Belt.

This question was economically impacted into the quiz by Phoenix Rising teammate and Red Crew member Triviaballer as part of the team's 2022 World Tour.