John McGivern's Main Streets

Sister Bay was named after the unincorporated Sister Islands just off the horizon in the bay.Its endless shoreline has been a hotspot for tourists since the late 1800s.

In 1900, Kalamazoo was the celery capital of the world! No kidding. The nearby “mucklands” are perfect for growing celery! In the second half of the 1800s, Kalamazoo was known as paper city. The Bryant Paper Company here in Kalamazoo became the largest Michigan manufacturer of book paper. And by World War II, a score of local mills made Kalamazoo the largest paper producer in the nation.

Le Claire is a storied river town, a classic Mississippi River port that boomed in the mid–19th century. The old river pilot homes are still here, which are testament to the fact that river pilots were needed because here is where the river makes a sharp turn to the west. LeClaire is about 15 miles northeast of the Quad Cities and is so close that it's considered by some to be a suburb of the Quad Cities.

Formed more than 10-thousand years ago by glaciers, the area was first the home of the Miami and Potawatomi tribes. The area quickly thrived thanks to its location to not just Lake Michigan, but also rivers –helping the fur trade and eventually steel production, flourish. But the water wasn't the only mode of transpiration that brought in commerce. Railroads brought in goods and people. Today, the Indiana Dunes are a hot spot for visitors in the Midwest and beyond.

Rochester is located in Southeastern Minnesota. It's about an hour and a half drive southwest of the Twin Cities and about 50 miles due east of Winona on the Mississippi River. Today, Rochester has residents and visitors from all around the world. The city's population is about 120,000 and the Mayo Clinic employs over 40,000 of them.

This charming town in northwest Illinois is named after a mineral mined here 20 years before the gold rush in California. It was a booming mining town in 1860 with a population of over 12000 when Ulysses S Grant moved here. Grant and the lead mines are no more, but the buildings still are.

The Harbor District has been a hub of prosperity for hundreds of years –first as a rice marsh with plentiful fish and game, then as an economic hub that served industries throughout the state. Roughly, the boundaries are Pittsburg Avenue on the north side of Harbor District, Bay Street to the south, South First Street to the west and Lake Michigan to the east.

South Bend is on the St. Joseph River and got its name because the city sits on the river's southernmost bend. The first residents were the Miami and Potawatomi tribes –and the river access eventually drew in an influx of fur traders. Established in 1865, South Bend saw a business boom in industry thanks to the St. Joseph River. Studebaker, Oliver Chilled Plow, and Singer Sewing machines were just a few of the big names. But we can't forget the University of Notre Dame. It's a huge influence on the economy and culture in South Bend to this day.

On the corner of Myrtle and Main Streets in Stillwater, Minnesota began. So why here? Well... when Wisconsin became a state in 1848, that left people WEST of the St. Croix river “high and dry” with no government. So, the people of Stillwater held a territorial convention right hereand voted to send a delegate to Washington D.C. to organize a new territory called “Minnesota”which became a territory in 1849, and a state in 1858. John & his producer Lois Maurer on the drive home as they chat about their impressions of the community and share interesting stories that may have hit the cutting room floor.

Rockford is the largest city in Illinois outside of the Chicago area. It was originally known as “Midway Village” because, for travelers, it was halfway between Chicago and Galena.  This city was known for industrial manufacturing in the last century but today it's been retooled into a center for healthcare and aerospace technology. John & his producer Lois Maurer on the drive home as they chat about their impressions of the community and share interesting stories that may have hit the cutting room floor.

Being right on Lake Michigan, South Haven Michigan has always been a port city. In the late 1800s, the surrounding timber industry gave way to farming, but another industry grew very well here–the resort and tourism industry. John & his producer Lois Maurer on the drive home as they chat about their impressions of the community and share interesting stories that may have hit the cutting room floor.

John & his producer Lois Maurer on the drive home as they chat about their impressions of the community and share interesting stories that may have hit the cutting room floor. This city has the same name as the lake. Green Lake is about seven miles wide, and its maximum depth is 237 feet, making it the deepest natural lake in all of Wisconsin. It's a great spot for fishing, golfing, sailing, canoeing, hiking, biking, and pretty much any relaxing outdoor activity you can think of. Some people even come here to SCUBA dive.

John & his producer Lois Maurer on the drive home as they chat about their impressions of the community and share interesting stories that may have hit the cutting room floor. Dubuque is in Iowa, where Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois would meet if the Mississippi didn't divide them. This was and is, first and foremost, a river town. The mighty Mississippi is worked, revered and enjoyed here by locals and visitors alike.

Welcome to John McGivern's Main Streets, the podcast that takes you behind the scenes of this popular TV program. We're kicking off this podcast to give you more of what you love.  Great stories about communities across the Midwest featuring actor and comedian John McGivern.