Almost every significant American economic era is apparent in this neat-as-a-pin city on the western shore of Lake Michigan. Its agrarian heritage is reflected in the farms lying at the city’s edge, and a beer-malting plant at the center of town. The maritime and industrial eras are represented by a coal-fired ferry that crosses Lake Michigan, and the steel cranes built here by the 103-year-old Manitowoc Company. The rust belt period, with its manufacturing-job losses and downtown decline, is still felt in slow population growth, modest housing prices and shuttered plants.In the newest era of this city’s history, the Internet is propping up bricks and mortar downtown, acting as a mainstay for the stores that have helped Manitowoc establish what development specialists call a “recreational” shopping experience. Indeed, besides generating sales for giants like Amazon, the Internet is allowing small stores, here and around the country, to develop the niche products that shield them against big-box retailers.
Photo by BigPru.
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