Michael Delich would have grown up knowing he lived among the citizens of two combined cities, but he would also have been very aware of the distinct personalities of each one. Minneapolis, with modern skyscrapers and a modern outlook, and Saint Paul, with its resemblance to a European city in its large amount of Victorian architecture and quaint neighborhoods which suggest another time. Even the populations of the two cities are distinct. Saint Paul’s development has been driven by the centuries-old French, Irish and German Catholic settlers which comprised its early citizens. Minneapolis was settled by Scandinavian and Lutheran peoples.
Minneapolis has the largest population of any city in Minnesota, while Saint Paul is the state’s capital. Michael Delich grew up in the second largest metroplex in the Midwest behind Chicago, with a population today of 3,797,883, the 14th largest metropolitan area in the United States. The Twin Cities is a unique combination of old world values and modern diversity, attempting to meld the old and the new.
Michael Delich would have grown up with the deeply ingrained competition between the two cities still in evidence today. Architects who created buildings in one city, was refused business in the other. The 1890 Census saw the cities arresting or kidnapping each other’s census takers to try to keep either city from outgrowing the other. Refusing to agree on a calendar for daylight savings time, there was a time in the 1960’s when those who lived in Minneapolis were one hour behind those living in St. Paul.
Minneapolis has the largest population of any city in Minnesota, while Saint Paul is the state’s capital. Michael Delich grew up in the second largest metroplex in the Midwest behind Chicago, with a population today of 3,797,883, the 14th largest metropolitan area in the United States. The Twin Cities is a unique combination of old world values and modern diversity, attempting to meld the old and the new.
Michael Delich would have grown up with the deeply ingrained competition between the two cities still in evidence today. Architects who created buildings in one city, was refused business in the other. The 1890 Census saw the cities arresting or kidnapping each other’s census takers to try to keep either city from outgrowing the other. Refusing to agree on a calendar for daylight savings time, there was a time in the 1960’s when those who lived in Minneapolis were one hour behind those living in St. Paul.
