Cities

Minneapolis and St. Paul – Worlds Apart

If you take a look at Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, you’ll find that they are located very close together. In fact, there are only really separated by the Mississippi River and there is a bridge in between them. However, even though they are close geographically, and known as the “Twin Cities” they are actually worlds apart. It is very curious that two cities that are located right next to each other are so entirely different, but there are some reasons behind this phenomenon. Here is a closer look at the Minneapolis St. Paul rivalry, where it started, and the things that seem to keep it going on today.

Different Beginnings of the Cities

First of all, when it comes to Minneapolis St. Paul, MN, you’ll find that the two cities had very different beginnings. It is the different beginnings that they both went through, that is a large part in the reason that these two cities are so different, even though they are so close together.

If you take a look at the Twin Cities early on, you’ll find that there beginnings were totally different. Minneapolis and St. Paul are set astride the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers and the downtown areas are actually only about 13 miles away from each other and they are on the banks of the Mississippi. When the Louisiana Purchase was made, the area was then occupied by the U.S. Army and Fort Snelling was built in 1819.

In the early 1840s, there were already two different villages that were in the area. One was known as the village of Minneapolis on the West Bank of Mississippi River, and then the village of St. Anthony was located on the East Bank of the Mississippi. These two villages later came together and a suspension bridge connected them.

St. Paul had a bit of a different start. Pierre Parrant, a trapper who was retired, decided to open up a tavern and wasn’t allowed to set it up on the land owned by the Fort. So, he set up his tavern, known as the “Pig’s Eye” on the Northern Side of the river. It seemed for some time that this new town may end up with the name “Pig’s Eye,” but Father Lucien Galtier came to the area as a missionary and saved the city from that name. His favorite patron saint was St. Paul, and he promoted the name and the name of the city was changed to St. Paul in 1841.

The fact that St. Paul was the furthest point to the north that the big cargo boats could go on the Mississippi, also kept the cities apart from each other. Even though the cities are only separated by a bit of river, this made a big difference. There are some locks available today that make it possible for ships to travel to Minneapolis, but because the trip is so time consuming, many do not make the trip.

Rivalry Between the Two Cities

Over the years, there has been a whole lot of competition and rivalry between the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. In fact, since the beginning, they have competed against each other, with each city trying to build bigger buildings and even more extravagant buildings. Each of the cities have a University of Minnesota campus in the city. Later, in 1915 St.  Paul would build and complete a beautiful Cathedral, and Minneapolis had to keep up and they built their Basilica of St. Mary just a few years later. Interestingly enough, during the United States Census of 1890, the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul kept kidnapping and arresting the census takers from the other city, trying to keep the other city from growing bigger.

In some cases in the past, the rivalry of Minneapolis St. Paul, MN actually ended up leading to violence. When the baseball teams from the two cities, the St. Paul Saints and the Minneapolis Millers, played against each other in 1923, violence broke out. The two cities would build rival stadiums in the 1950′s as well, as they competed to have a franchise for major league baseball.

The development of Minneapolis and St. Paul is also very distinct.  On the one hand, Minneapolis is well known for using new architecture with an avant garde touch. However, on the other hand, St. Paul brings in new buildings as well, but places them within the context of the Victorian and classical styles of buildings that are already located in the old city.

Social Segregation

To some extent, between the two cities there is some social segregation as well. Usually you’ll find that people who live in one city usually stay in that city and socialize with people in their city as well. Sure, only a bridge and of course the Mississippi River separates the two rivers, but when it comes to socialization, both cities seem to stay far apart as a general rule.

While one would think that two cities that are so close together would eventually merge together, this is not true when it comes to Minneapolis St. Paul. The two cities have been different and worlds apart from their beginnings, and yet today they remain that way, with no sign of change in sight.

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