Professional Egress Window Installation in the Twin Cities

The Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul sit on the traditional homelands of the Dakota people, who called this region Mni Sota Makoce—"the land where the water reflects the clouds." French explorer Father Louis Hennepin documented the area in the 17th century, including the magnificent St. Anthony Falls on the Mississippi River.

Saint Paul was settled first, founded in 1838 (originally called "Pig's Eye Landing") and officially established as the capital of the Minnesota Territory in 1849. Minneapolis developed around St. Anthony Falls in the 1850s, growing rapidly as a flour milling and lumber center. The city exploded from 13,000 people in 1870 to 165,000 by 1890, earning the nickname "Mill City."

German, Scandinavian (Swedish, Norwegian, Danish), and Irish immigrants shaped the region's culture throughout the 1800s and early 1900s. The two cities developed distinct identities: Saint Paul became known as more Catholic, Irish, and politically conservative, while Minneapolis was more Lutheran, Scandinavian, and progressive.

Today, the Twin Cities form one of America's most diverse metro areas, home to the largest Somali community in North America and the second-largest Hmong population in the United States.