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Why do tiny Minnesota cities like Lauderdale, Landfall and Falcon Heights exist?

The Minnesota Star Tribune
June 20, 2020 at 8:45PM
TOM WALLACE• twallace@startribune.com Assign#00003492A slug: sculpture06XX june19,20,21 Twenty year anniversary of the Walker Art Center's, sculpture garden - double truck graphic highliting 12 works , on line gallery / map showing them all. Minneapolis, MN 2008. Spoonbridge and Cherry, 1985-1988 Aluminum, stainless steel, paint 354 x 618 x 162 in. Gift of Frederick R. Weisman in honor of his parents, William and Mary Weisman, 1988
Spoonbridge and Cherry is an icon of downtown Minneapolis, the state's largest city, but the Twin Cities metro is dotted with small municipalities that retain their distinct community identities. (Tom Wallace/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

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When architect Mauricio Ochoa moved to the Twin Cities a decade ago, he quickly realized Twin was actually a bit of a misnomer.

The metro area actually includes dozens of independent cities — often referred to now as suburbs — all with their own governments, rules and regulations. Ochoa, originally from Honduras, said it's very different from other parts of the world — think Paris, Mexico City — and even portions the United States, including New York City and Houston where the core cities are more geographically dominant.

Ochoa asked Curious Minnesota, our community-driving reporting project, "Why do tiny cities like Lauderdale, Landfall, Lilydale and Falcon Heights exist?"

It is true that Minnesota has more incorporated cities than other places — 853 to be precise compared to Wisconsin's 597 cities and villages and Michigan's 533 — said Luke Fischer, deputy director of the League of Minnesota Cities. And more than 70% have a population of less than 4,000, Fischer said. Much of this traces back to farming, he said.

"Minnesota has agrarian roots, so populations were distributed across the state," Fischer said. "Cities were formed to provide needed services."

Rural communities sprung up along waterways, rail stops, grain elevators and local supply stores. Many of the Twin Cities' suburbs, including Hastings and Anoka, were their own incorporated cities well outside Minneapolis and St. Paul.

As development marched out from the two larger cities, populations in other communities on the edge of urban development incorporated and kept their own distinct identities before being gobbled up via annexation.

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"There is a lot of community identity wrapped up in self-governance," Fischer said.

Those distinct community identities still exist and flourish today. Many locals proudly declare themselves residents of Minnetonka, Edina or Eagan — not just the Twin Cities.

Each city and suburb has its own origin story, some full of aspiration, others tinged with drama and many with a strong independent streak.

Residents of Falcon Heights, now best known as home to the Minnesota State Fair, bristled at outside control and incorporated as a village in 1949 — and later transitioned to a city.

"They didn't want to be annexed to Roseville and they didn't want to be part of St. Paul so they became their own city," said Rich Arpi, a researcher at the Ramsey County Historical Society.

Maplewood also incorporated in 1957 after rumors began to swirl that St. Paul wanted to annex the area for the additional tax base.

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Some communities organized around big dreams. Businessman Henry Castle purchased the land and then laid out the village of North St. Paul in the 1880s, which became a stop on the Wisconsin Central Railroad.

"Henry Castle had grandiose ideas; he wanted to make an industrial center to rival Chicago," Arpi said. "He didn't quite make it."

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Jerry Hammer pointed to the location of the current Minnesota State Fairgrounds on an old map on Thursday. The location of the state fair was debated by both Minneapolis and St. Paul, and the current location was a compromise between the Twin Cities. ] Isaac Hale ¥ isaac.hale@startribune.com Jerry Hammer, fair general manager, gave a tour around the Minnesota state fairgrounds in Falcon Heights, MN, on Thursday, July 28, 2016, and spoke on the fair's history and also gave a glimpse at what the f
Jerry Hammer pointed to the location of the current Minnesota State Fairgrounds on an old map on Thursday. The location of the state fair was debated by both Minneapolis and St. Paul, and the current location was a compromise between the Twin Cities. ] Isaac Hale ¥ isaac.hale@startribune.com Jerry Hammer, fair general manager, gave a tour around the Minnesota state fairgrounds in Falcon Heights, MN, on Thursday, July 28, 2016, and spoke on the fair's history and also gave a glimpse at what the fair was like about 100 years ago. (Colleen Kelly — Special to the Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
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about the writer

about the writer

Shannon Prather

Reporter

Shannon Prather covers Ramsey County for the Star Tribune. Previously, she covered philanthropy and nonprofits. Prather has two decades of experience reporting for newspapers in Minnesota, California, Idaho, Wisconsin and North Dakota. She has covered a variety of topics including the legal system, law enforcement, education, municipal government and slice-of-life community news.

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