 This article is not part of the 1983: Doomsday canon because it was abandoned during the proposal process. If you would like to resurrect this proposal, please comment on the main talk page. |
Nos libertés que nous chérissons et nos droits nous allons défendrons. (French) ("Our liberties we cherish and our rights we will defend.") | |||||
| Anthem | "The Song of the Commonwealth" | ||||
| Capital | Mason City | ||||
| Largest city | Mason City | ||||
| Other cities | Albert Lea, Austin, Clear Lake, Freeborn, Kensett, Glenville, Emmona, Forest Lake, Garner | ||||
| Language official |
English | ||||
| others | German, Low German | ||||
| Religion main |
Protestant Christianity | ||||
| others | Roman Catholicism, Mormonism, Orthodox Christianity, Judaism, Irreligion | ||||
| Ethnic Groups main |
White American | ||||
| others | Native American, European, African American | ||||
| Chairman | (head of state) | ||||
| Area | x km² | ||||
| Population | 26,480 | ||||
| Independence | from the United States (Iowa) | ||||
| declared | May 1, 1988 | ||||
| Currency | Barter, Superioran Dollar, Buffalo Dollar, QCA Dollar | ||||
| Organizations | United Communities | ||||
The Iowan-Minnesotan Commonwealth, known as Mason City, is a survivor state, located in Northern Iowa, straddling the former Iowa-Minnesota state line; and west of the QCA.
Geography[]
The current area of the Minnesota-Iowa Commonwealth encompasses most of the former Iowan counties of Cerro Gordo and Worth; and the former Minnesotan county of Freeborn, right on the former MN-IA stateline. The largest towns being Mason City proper, Albert Lea, Austin, Clear Lake, Northwood and Freeborn. The settlements and their associated farms are linked by the former Interstate 35 North-South, and the former Iowa State Highways 9 and 122, and the former Minnesota State Highway 251 and 109. The condition of these roads has deteriorated since doomsday, coupled with the complete lack of motorized vehicles - these former State Highways and Interstates have degraded to be the major wagon trails between the settlements. The Winnebago and Le Sueur Rivers are within the territories of the nation; former Freeborn County in Minnesota host an abundance of lakes.
History[]
Pre-Doomsday[]
The first settlements in the general area were settled around the early 1850s. The original town area where Mason City proper was to be was the summer home of the Sioux and Winnebago nations. The settlement was established in 1853, at the confluence of the Winnebago River and Calmus Creek. The town had several names: Shibboleth, Masonic Grove and Masonville, but the name "Mason City" was established in 1855, in honor of a founders' son, Mason Long.
In 1854, John McMillin opened the first store; and Dr. Silas opened the first medical practice. Lizzie Thompson established the first schoolhouse in a log cabin in 1856. The United States Postal Service was established in the town in 1857. Mason City was named the county seat of Cerro Gordo county in 1858.
The area is known for its musical heritage, being the hometown of Meredith Willson, the "City's Favorite Son" who's crowning achievement was the famous musical "the Music Man."
Also, in the area north of Clear Lake in Grant Township, an airplane carrying rock and roll stars Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P "The Big Bopper" Richardson, along with their pilot, Roger A. Peterson, were killed in an airplane crash on February, 3rd 1959.
Prior to Doomsday, the areas of Mason City and Albert Lea were becoming the centers of their own micropolitan areas.
Doomsday & Aftermath[]
(more to come)
First Contact: Waterloo and Dubuque[]
(more to come)
Bandit Wars & Reconstruction[]
(more to come)
Stabilization & Restoration[]
(more to come)
Second Contact: Superior and Quad Cities[]
(more to come)
Third Contact: Lincoln & the West[]
(more to come)
A New Millennium[]
With its position in the middle of North America, Mason City has a unique position, along with Ottumwa to become fairly large hubs linking the Western and Midwestern survivor nations. With trade and investment from other nations around them, the standard of living has risen in the area - some limited electricity using small-scale hydropower and windfarms, has been re-established in the area. And with contact via Superior with the rest of the world, some items imported from Superior, West Texas and the North American Union have started to appear in the existing and newly built or restored trading centers and shops of the Nation. The standard of living has become an interesting mix of 19th century and early-mid 20th century levels of development.
Government[]
Mason City is a representative democracy. It is led by a Chairperson, who is in charge of the executive branch, and an Electorate, which is in charge of the legislative branches, and finally, the High Court, which is the judicial branch. The president is elected every four years, with no term limitations.
Mason City's local Electorate is unicameral and has 18 seats. Members of the Electorate may be elected every four years, staggered against the election of a Chairperson.
Economics[]
The economy of the state was primarily based on agriculture. The effects of Doomsday's radiation made it much harder to recover than it would have otherwise; but still, they managed to get through the first few years without too much starvation.
The economy is still mostly barter, with various other currencies also in circulation, and with most products coming from the immediate region. But, with contact with the outside world and its position on a north-west and east-west axis in the center of North America, trade & hospitality has become the secondary and tertiary sectors of the economy. Recently, some products from Mexico, the Texases and Superior have come into the region as luxuries, though they would have been considered to be "cheap" and "trashy" before the events of Doomsday.
The country has no official currency, and while they do accept the currencies of surrounding Nations: the Superiorian Dollar, the QCA Dollar, old U.S. dollars and the Buffalo Dollar, as well as precious metals and commodities such as gold or salt, which in the post-doomsday landscape has become valuable again; but trade is still primarily in bartering of goods and services, though the government hopes to institute either establish a new, locally-minted currency pegged to one of the currencies most commonly used (most likely the Superiorian or QCA dollars) or at least to select one or two of these other currencies as a "standard" currency. The populace, however, seems to be satisfied with the status quo.
Education[]
(more to come)
Media & Communications[]
Most communication takes place via the postal service, messengers or via HAM radio networks, where there are sources of power.
There are five radio stations, reestablished with the assistance of the Quad Cities and Superior engineers, they are:
1010 KRNA-AM - The Main Station, consisting of mostly spoken word entertainment, discussion, news, farm and weather reports and sports.
1450 KABL-AM - Mostly religious, agricultural reports, news and pre- and post-doomsday country music.
1490 KNRW-AM" - Pre- and Post-doomsday pop, rock and country music
92.3 KMSC-FM - Post-doomsday freeform pop and rock, University of Iowa Station (North Iowa Area Community College pre-doomsday)
96.1 KAUS-FM - Classical, Jazz, and Blues Music, a "higher culture" station
Many radio stations from surrounding areas are also available during the day - mostly from the QCA, Lincoln, Wisconsin and USA, and at night, stations from around North America can be heard, especially the 50,000-watt stations in Billings, US, NAU; Stowe, Superior; Odessa, West Texas; and St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada. The RTÉ World Service, LoN Radio, Mexico's IMER and several other shortwave stations are available to those with shortwave receivers.
The government and a group of radio stations and businessmen have hoped to revive a television station since 2010, and - with some test transmissions occurring over 2011 and the first half of 2012, with help from the QCA and Superior - KIMT Channel 3 was brought back online. KIMT broadcasts mostly pre-doomsday programming from the 50s, 60s, 70s and early 80s; as well as imported programming from Mexican, Superiorian, Vermonter, Texan, Canadian, Oceanian and Celtic programs during prime-time, mostly via Superior's NBS. The station signs on at 9 AM to 10 PM Monday thru Friday, from 10 AM to 12 Midnight on Saturday and from 12 Noon to 5 PM on Sundays. Plans for a second station similar in content to the old NET and PBS networks in the future, though there are not many individuals who have TV sets and in rural areas, electric power, which are hampering efforts - but Mexican and South American manufactured sets are starting to appear in some more upscale shops and in the homes of the wealthy of the nation. Many public areas have a repaired old set for general viewing. QCA, Lincoln and sometimes American stations are available.
The nation's newspaper of record is the Globe Gazette - Commonwealth News, which publishes daily in Mason City and Albert Lea, and on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays in other towns, villages and areas. Other local newsletters publish weekly or monthly.
The printing, writing and reading of books has greatly expanded since Doomsday.
There are many amateur and professional theaters around the Nation, with many different type of plays on stage at any one time, for residents and traders alike.
Some cinemas have started running again, running old and imported films.
A telephone connection between the Chairman's House in Mason City and the Chief Executive's Office in Davenport. West Texas Bell hopes to re-establish telephone and telegraph connections to Midwestern and Eastern States sometime in the near future.
Military[]
Mason City's militia is composed of 750 soldiers, with reserves of up to 5,000.
Foreign Relations[]
(more to come)
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