In the middle of America, there’s a place that still believes in the middle of America

Krdo · May 11, 2026 · 1929 words · By CNN Newssource

Geographic Identity Rural Nostalgia American Exceptionalism

open_in_new Read the original article: https://krdo.com/news/2026/05/11/in-the-middle-of-america-theres-a-place-that-st…

psychologyDetected Techniques

warning

Loaded Language 80% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

warning

Glittering Generalities 70% confidence

Using vague, emotionally appealing phrases ('freedom', 'justice') without specifics.

fact_checkFact-Check Results

15 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

info Single Source 5

schedule Pending 5

verified Verified By Reference 2

help Insufficient Evidence 2

check_circle Corroborated 1

check_circle

“Various formulations set down after Alaska and Hawaii were added to the mix in 1959 have the center hopping all over the Dakotas.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent web sources (Wikipedia, grokipedia, and a news article) confirm that the admission of Alaska and Hawaii in 1959 shifted the geographic center of the US northwest from Kansas toward the Dakotas (specifically South Dakota).

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — In 45 of the 50 states of the United States, the county is used for the level of local government immediately below the state itself. Louisiana uses parishes, and Alaska uses boroughs. In Connecticut,…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/County_statistics_of_the_Unite…

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — In the United States, time is divided into nine standard time zones covering the states, territories and other US possessions, with most of the country observing daylight saving time (DST) for approxi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_in_the_United_States

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_of_Represe…

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

“the US Department of the Interior dryly noted in a 1964 report: “There is no generally accepted definition of geographic center, and no completely satisfactory method for determining it.””

SINGLE SOURCE

The specific quote from the 1964 Department of the Interior report is found in a CNN article. While the source is reputable, no other independent source in the provided evidence corroborates this specific quote.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — U.S. Route 101 (US 101) is a north–south United States Numbered Highway stretching from Los Angeles, California, to Tumwater, Washington. The portion in the state of California is approximately 808 mi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_101_in_California

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) is an executive department of the United States federal government that oversees the domestic enforcement of federal laws and the administration of justic…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_Ju…

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The United States Department of Labor (DOL) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government. It is responsible for the administration of federal laws governing occupational safety a…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_La…

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

“Back near the start of the 20th century... enterprising experts at the US Coast and Geodetic Survey figured it out by the scientific method of cutting out a cardboard map of the country — and balancing it on the head of a pin to find its center of gravity.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The description of the 'cardboard map' and 'balancing on a pin' method is mentioned in one web search result. While the US Coast and Geodetic Survey's existence is verified by Wikipedia, the specific 'cardboard' method is only reported by one source here.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps (informally the NOAA Corps) is one of eight federal uniformed services of the United States, and operates under the Natio…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NOAA_Commissioned_Officer_Corp…

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The National Geodetic Survey (NGS) is a United States federal agency based in Washington, D.C. that defines and manages a national coordinate system, providing the foundation for transportation and co…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._National_Geodetic_Survey

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The United States Coast and Geodetic Survey (abbreviated USC&GS; known as the Survey of the Coast from 1807 to 1836, and as the United States Coast Survey from 1836 until 1878) was the first scientifi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Coast_and_Geodet…

+ 3 more evidence sources

verified

“That pivot point was in northern Kansas, just outside a town called Lebanon.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The provided evidence for claim 3 consists of general links to National Geographic and NOAA/NGS, but none of the results specifically confirm that the pivot point was in northern Kansas near Lebanon. (Note: While claim 0 mentions Lebanon, Kansas, the specific evidence block for claim 3 contains no corroborating text).

menu_book

+ 3 more evidence sources

verified

“I-70 passes a historical marker sign informing motorists that the next eight miles were the first section of interstate in the United States.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The evidence provided includes general Wikipedia entries for I-70 and I-70 in Kansas, but none of the snippets mention a historical marker regarding the 'first section of interstate' or an 'eight-mile stretch'.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Interstate 70 (I-70) is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from I-15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to I-695 and Maryland Route 570 (MD 570) in Woodlawn, just outside Baltimore…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_70

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Interstate 70 (I-70) is a mainline route of the Interstate Highway System in the United States connecting Cove Fort, Utah, to Baltimore, Maryland. In the US state of Kansas, I-70 extends just over 424…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_70_in_Kansas

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — U.S. Route 73 (US 73) is a north–south United States highway that runs for 113 miles (182 km) from northeast Kansas to southeast Nebraska. The highway's southern terminus is Bonner Springs, Kansas at …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_73

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

“Its 1956 opening kicked off President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s program to shrink America with highways.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The evidence provided for this claim consists of irrelevant search results regarding banks in Wyoming and does not mention the interstate highway system or President Eisenhower.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Once enrolled, click the link below to be redirected to your device's app store to download the First Bank of Wyoming app. Log in with your Online Banking credentials.
https://www.gofirstbank.com/online-banking/personal

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Aug 6, 2025 · “We are thrilled to complete the acquisition of Wyoming Bank & Trust and officially welcome the Cheyenne and Burns branches into the First National Bank family”, said Craig Davis, Presid…
https://www.firstnationalbanks.bank/co-sd/welcome-first-wyom…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Securely log in to First Bank of Wyoming to access your accounts and manage your finances online.
https://connect.gofirstbank.com/login

info

“Clay Center — another mid-point, this one marking halfway between Los Angeles and New York.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The evidence provided consists of general 'halfway point' calculators and does not mention Clay Center, Kansas, or its status as the midpoint between LA and NYC.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Halfway Point Calculator ... Midpoint between two places Travelmath helps you figure out the midpoint between two locations based on the driving directions from each starting point. You can find the c…
https://www.travelmath.com/halfway/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — A shareable link you can send to friends or colleagues Popular USA Routes Some of the most-searched halfway point between two cities queries include New York to Boston, Los Angeles to Las Vegas, Chica…
https://halfwaypointusa.com/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Find the fairest meeting point between 2 or 3 locations. Uses real driving routes — not straight lines — to suggest where to meet, with nearby restaurants, cafes and pubs.
https://mapscaping.com/meeting-point-location-midpoint-calcu…

info

“In Cawker... the world’s largest ball of twine.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The evidence provided consists of general definitions of 'World' and news links, with no mention of Cawker City or a ball of twine.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — A comprehensive representation of the world and our place in it, as is found in religions, is known as a worldview. Cosmogony is the field that studies the origin or creation of the world, while escha…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The World’s 2 Most Powerful Men Are Set to Meet Again. Here’s What to Know. The war in Iran, trade, artificial intelligence and Taiwan are expected to be on the agenda. But expectations are ...
https://www.nytimes.com/international/section/world

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — View CNN world news today for international news and videos from Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and the Americas.
https://www.cnn.com/world

help

“Made from... more than 8,500,000 feet of sisal string, this hulking presence weighs in at over 27,000 pounds.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided for this claim.

help

“It was begun in 1953 by local farmer Frank Stuber and has been displayed in Cawker since 1961.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided for this claim.

schedule

“It fought off competition from a rival twine behemoth in Minnesota to claim its current title in 1982.”

PENDING

schedule

“The dead center of the “lower 48”... just off Highway 281, north of Lebanon.”

PENDING

schedule

“A marker details the coordinates (Lat 39° 50’, Long 93° 35’) of what is now known as the “historic center,””

PENDING

schedule

“Bruce Springsteen suggested when he visited this very spot in 2021 for a Super Bowl commercial advertising Jeep.”

PENDING

schedule

“the town took its name from the Bible”

PENDING

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.

eFinder

eFinder

In the middle of America, there’s a place that still believes in the middle of America

psychologyDetected Techniques

fact_checkFact-Check Results