Minneapolis: An Urban Biography

by Tom Weber

Minneapolis is Minneapolis is because of the water—because of the Mississippi River, and St. Anthony Falls, and the beautiful lakes that dot the city's neighborhoods. Energized by the power of a magnificent waterfall that was harnessed with stolen technology, it became a major, even global, city.

In this succinct and thought-provoking book, Tom Weber provides an urban biography of the City of Lakes. The confluence of the Mississippi and the Minnesota River is a sacred place for Dakota people, who have lived here for millennia. Since the city’s beginnings in the 1850s, Minneapolis has experienced continual collapses and rebuilding. Some collapses were real, as when the Falls were nearly destroyed; some are metaphorical, as when corruption and the mob threatened to overtake the life of the city. Weber also explores the effects of the rebuilding and who was in who was left in, and who was left out.


Cities, like people, are always changing, and the history of that change is the city's biography. This book illuminates the unique character of Minneapolis, weaving in the hidden stories of place, politics, and identity that continue to shape its residents’ lives.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, American History, Geography

208 pages, Paperback

First published May 5, 2020

About the author

Tom Weber, an award-winning writer, journalist, and radio host, is the author of 100 Things to Do in the Twin Cities Before You Die.


Librarian note: There are multiple authors with this name in this data base. This one is Tom^^^^^Weber.

Reviews

[Emily Lilja Palmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only thing I didn’t love about this book is that it’s too short. I imagine Weber agonized about what got included & what didn’t! What’s there is highly readable & interesting. Definitely left me wanting more.

[Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short, readable history of Minneapolis that takes great pains not to cut out the nasty history of oppression and racism in “our” city (I know, I live in the suburbs, but there ain’t nobody doing an urban biography of Shakopee anytime soon, so I will call Minneapolis “my” city for now). In many cases Weber puts the ugly part of Minneapolis history front and center. It doesn’t make it any less interesting and in most cases forces the reader to examine why Minneapolis is the way it is today. He also does a good job focusing on people of color and how the history of various ethnic groups in Minneapolis.

I’m not sure when this came out but it seems like it was written just before the murder of George Floyd. It’s impossible to read this book without thinking about what has happened in Minneapolis as a result. Because of that, I think this book is a must-read.

[Jennifer Myers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned more about the history of Minneapolis in this book than I ever did in 6th grade MN history class!

The book chapters feature themes that don’t go chronologically but weave together nicely to paint a picture of the “whiplashed” story of Minneapolis.

Recommend for any history buff or person who likes to dig a little deeper into how the city formed - complete with corruption, greed, redlining and discrimination. It’s good to know our past so we can make better choices now.

[Marcos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seeing as I will be there this summer for the first time, this book was very informative, and will help me better understand the current politics and the various areas I’ll tread.

[CTEP]

For book club this month I read Minneapolis: An Urban Biography by Tom Weber. This book is a concise overview of the history of Minneapolis, clocking in at only about 170 pages. The thing that I liked best about the book is that the author worked hard to really ground the history of Minneapolis with the stories of the land’s first residents: the first chapter opens with information about the Dakota and Ojibwe nations who lived on the land (covering some of the same information that I remember being shared in our land acknowledgments). Throughout the text, Weber has a high level of detail and continually foregrounds the stories of indigenous groups in Minnesota. I think this book would be a great starting point for readers seeking information on the history of indigenous Americans in Minnesota – I’m glad that it seems to be pretty popular (I was on the hold list at the library for about four months before finally getting it).
In the prologue, Weber writes about the constant “whiplash” in the history of Minneapolis: how white residents live out and celebrate a very different history than BIPOC residents. His mission in writing the book was to explore those contradictions, to celebrate the city while acknowledging the centuries of harm in its history. He includes some lighthearted anecdotes that made me laugh (the rivalry between Minneapolis and Saint Paul was so strong in the late nineteenth century that both cities committed massive census fraud during the 1890 census, hiring crooked census workers and fudging the numbers in every way they could). But primarily, it’s a clear-eyed look at the harm white settlers and business interests did to indigenous groups, POC residents, and the very environment of the city. Especially haunting for me was the havoc that the lumber and milling industries wrought upon the natural environment, causing the collapse of the old St Anthony Falls in the late nineteenth century. Today, the Falls are held up by manmade structures below the water, a shell of the environment that was sacred to native groups.
Because the book is so short, Weber must paint with a broad brush, and doesn’t necessarily go in chronological order. Chapters are arranged by theme, and I think the book is intended to be more of a jumping off point for residents to begin doing their own deeper research into the history that interests them. However, I would absolutely recommend this book both to CTEPs who are new to the Cities and those who grew up here. As a broad overview of the city’s development that appropriately anchors itself in the stories of BIPOC residents of the land and city, it can’t be beat. Get on the hold list now at the library, because it might take a bit!

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book came to my attention because the author is the spouse of our Lieutenant Governor but, of course, Tom Weber is a noted journalist and writer in his own right. He has created a concise history of the city of Minneapolis as well as the land that the city rests upon going back in history to the creation of the landscape by glaciers, through the time when Indigenous Peoples were the only human residents of the area, and continuing with more recent history detailing the city's economic & power struggles, social justice issues, and political and civil unrest. It's an epic task to take on and Weber admits that he could easily have made each chapter into a book of its own. As it is, it is a succinct overview of the history of the city which affords the reader the background information he/she needs to try to understand how we arrived at where we are at today.

[Ted · Rating 5 out of 5]

Weber’s book is an important overview of the development of Minneapolis with a focus on the people who shaped it and were marginalized at every turn of “progress”. I appreciated his intent to be concise and approachable so many could learn our history. As a non native to the Twin Cities, I learned some back stories to names or events I didn’t fully understand, and it was also a reminder of how similar meandering paths of development have shaped and unfortunately marginalized people in most American cities. Unfortunately he is already in need of an update having seen how Covid and the murder of George Floyd are shaping the City’s policies, exposing its flaws, and providing glimmers of hope again.

[John Benson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always enjoyed listening to Tom Weber when he had show on MPR. He always asked good questions and got to the heart of the matter. In this book, part of a new series by Minnesota Historical Society Press, on Minnesota's cities, Weber explores Minneapolis' history, asking good questions about the disparities that have almost always been part of Minnesota's largest city. He shows the complexity of the city that has been known for its progressivism, while still having many discriminatory parts to its history. This is an interesting history of the city that he finished writing before the George Floyd incident, but the book shows that the event was not an anomaly in its history.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book about Minneapolis/Twin Cities history which includes all voices including black, brown, indigenous, LGBTQ+, etc. Did you know... How black families were systematically excluded from white neighborhoods? Where and why a creek is buried in North Minneapolis? Why 35W jogs a little to the right when coming into downtown? Where and when the first gay marriage was in the US? The connection between medical devices and flour mills? The book includes photos and an engaging narrative style.

[Kirk Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book places a heavy emphasis on people generally excluded from histories of Minneapolis (and Minnesota), which is why I was interested in the book. It gave me some insights into Minnesota's racist past and current racial problems. I liked Tom Weber's content a lot; I found his storytelling a bit dry. But I was more interested in information than style, and Mr. Weber delivered on that. Important and overlooked history for all Minnesotans.

[Shan Huang · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great overview on Minneapolis urban history. I particularly like the second half the book reviewing the changes after WWII, learning about the city pioneering in music, advancing LGBTQ+ rights, and embracing immigrants. The book did not shy away from the fact that Minneapolis still has the largest racial inequality among all the major cities. The discussion on Basset Creek, which is close to where I work, was also eye-opening. A very enjoyable read for people who live in Minneapolis.

[Josie · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was actually such a good read. I learned so much about Minneapolis and it was quick and enjoyable to read, and a really accessible length. I appreciated how the author positioned himself as “another white guy writing a book about history” but made a very clear effort to center stories of underrepresented groups in Minneapolis. I think he did a great job of telling stories that aren’t always at the front.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must-read for anti-racist work

Mr Weber summed it up himself in this book: if you’re going to do the work, you should know the history that got us to where we are now. This is a great overview of so many events that all melded together to make the Minneapolis we know and love today. Great book to learn more about your community and where so many came from.

[Monica]

Easy and interesting reading. Captures some social and racial history that I hadn't been aware of. Documentation of sources finally appears at the end of the book. There are several books I'm adding to my want to read list that were brought to my attention through this book. It also serves to encourage renewed effort at following city politics and issues.

[Grace Butler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very concise book with lots of appendices for further reading. The book tells all and explains much. I learned about the KKK in Minneapolis which I had never considered. I need to read more on Humphrey as he did much to form coalitions for the common good.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned a ton about Minneapolis history that I never knew, despite being born and raised in a suburb and having lived in the city for 7 years.

[B · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick, engaging read for anyone who cares to learn more about Minneapolis from a thoughtful source.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. It's a clear and concise historical book stating the events that have shaped Minneapolis. I would highly recommend.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I used to absolutely love my hometown, which I left when I went to college. Now, not quite so much, but I am grateful for a new, clear eyed and much more balanced view of Minneapolis.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I strongly believe everyone living in Minneapolis should read this book. What an easy way to understand how we are the way we are. It is well written and a fast read.

[Liz Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fantastic. I highly recommend it to anyone who lives in or near the Twin Cities.

[Maureen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay. I feel privileged that I knew most—but not all—of stories conveyed. A good start and appreciate the focus on communities of color.

[Bernadette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tom Weber's experience on Minnesota Public Radio served him well when he was asked to write a "concise and comprehensive" history of Minneapolis. Weber's personal, conversational style and familiarity with the urban area enable him to weave a fascinating story of the Mill City's complex development from literal glacial formation to current day political and racial challenges. He says he wrote the book for the "lifer and the newcomer" to Minneapolis and I think he succeeded in appealing to both. He covers the St. Paul/Minneapolis rivalry from early settler days, how flour milling replaced lumber mills and nearly ruined St. Anthony Falls, professional sports teams and growth of the health, food and electronics/tech industries.
A major theme is trying to set the record straight about how the prejudice and ill treatment of Native peoples, Black residents, Jewish citizens, and recent immigrants like the Somali have long shaped the city and fostered inequality. He traces the subtle but underlying prejudice that enabled the overwhelming white population to stay in power through policy decisions, redlining and more. He maintains we can't change the present if we don't accept and understand the past. Weber has a knack for connecting current place names with their historical counterparts, making for impactful reading. Short snapshots of some Minneapolis famous names like Hubert Humphrey and Prince, as well as lesser-known heroes add color. The author includes a comprehensive list of sources for further reading, something he strongly encourages. I learned so much.