"I thought I knew the story of the Twin Cities until I read this book. Drew Ross richly describes how and why Minneapolis and St. Paul stayed as distinct, unidentical 'twins.' Properly centering wild nineteenth-century land shenanigans, this vibrant history is a must-read key to understanding the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro." --Bill Lindeke, University of Minnesota, author of St. Paul: An Urban Biography

"Drew M. Ross has written a poignant book on the establishments of Minneapolis and St. Paul and their remarkable continued existence to this day as separate, individual cities and not a combined city. This well-researched book deftly traces the development of the Twin Cities' distinct histories and cultures, business leaders and political officials drawn to each city, the resources shared between the cities, and the failure of efforts to merge the two municipalities into one in the late nineteenth century. Becoming the Twin Cities is a must-read for every Minnesotan." --Christopher P. Lehman, St. Cloud State University, author of Slavery's Reach: Southern Slaveholders in the North Star State and It Took Courage: Eliza Winston's Quest for Freedom

"Becoming the Twin Cities is an important reminder that nothing needs to remain static. It is also a warning against insiders-only shaping the world as they want--whether that be boundaries on a map or policies that affect people's lives. Knowing this history is important to activate more people to speak up for the future we want." --Tom Weber, author of Minneapolis: An Urban Biography

"Drew Ross's book is essential reading for anyone who lives in, loves, or visits the Twin Cities as he explores the political shenanigans that have made the cities unique in their separate and strong identities. This is an immensely entertaining book you won't want to put down. Anyone who relishes their history served up with equal parts of facts, lore, and humor will find Ross's book a delicious meal!" --Jonis Agee, author of The Bones of Paradise

"This is a meticulously researched book that explains, beginning in 1805, why we have two separate cities. It is an invaluable addition to St. Paul, Minneapolis, and Minnesota history." --Donald L. Empson, author of The Street Where You Live: A Guide to the Place Names of St. Paul

"Buda and Pest, Brooklyn and Manhattan--these are former separate cities bordering common rivers that merged in the nineteenth century to form greater metropolises. In this engaging, deeply researched, and well-written book, Drew Ross tells the story of how first geography but soon politics, commerce, confidence men, and outright crooks kept St. Paul and Minneapolis separate cities, not the one great city on the Upper Mississippi that contemporaries thought would inevitably emerge. Out of the rivalry of the two settlements on the river grew uneasy cooperation and eventually a modus vivendi of the Twin Cities, the side-by-side hubs of a twenty-first-century region of more than three million people. Ross makes a significant contribution to urban history with this important book." --James W. Oberly, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire