Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / This thesis will investigate the effect of extractive industries on the economy of an average Midwestern town from the mid-1800s until the conclusion of the WWII. Primary and secondary sources were studied to gain an understanding of the effect of extractive industries on the development of Midland Michigan. Due to its complete reliance on extractive industries for its economic welfare Midland suffered extreme economic upheavals. In conclusion Midland’s intensive boom and bust economy mirrors Michigan’s own rocky relationship with extractive industries.