Why has the Midwest been a hotbed for house music in the past three decades?

I am curious to uncover what factors occurred that allowed house music to originate and then sustain itself in the Midwest. To research this topic I would like to look at the music scene in the Midwest prior to the advent of house music. Was the Midwest somehow predisposed to create and then foster electronic music? Who were the major personalities that were and are involved in the Midwest house music scene and how they affected the longevity of house. What economic influences helped sustain house music in the Midwest. There are many digital sources for this topic to research because much of early to contemporary house music and newspaper coverage can be found on-line. The following is a newspaper article I found using GMU’s electronic catalog.

House Music: The Blues for Dance: The new sound pumps up the volume and eyes a move from R &Q B underground to the pop mainstream
Snowden, Don. Los Angeles Times (1923-Current File) [Los Angeles, Calif] 28 May 1989: K65.

Abstract
House music didn’t stop in Chicago. The sound is now the latest contender to move into the pop mainstream from the R&B underground. The style was initially developed and dominated by deejays and/or producers in Chicago releasing 12-inch singles that made a strong mark on the East Coast and…

Snowden, D. (1989, May 28). House music: The blues for dance. Los Angeles Times (1923-Current File). Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1147228728?accountid=14541

A primary source image is found in that article.