When I lived in Mankato in the 1960s and 70s most residents had never been to Minneapolis/Saint Paul, why? (Minnetrista: buying)

[Weekend Traveler]

My brother and I were talking a while ago about the good old days when we both were kids and lived in beautiful Mankato Minnesota. This was in the 60s and 70s. Our parents use to take us up to Minneapolis 5-6 times a year to go to the Minnesota Twins games and visit relatives. We knew the Twin Cities pretty well.

That could not be said for the kids we knew in Mankato. Even though Minneapolis is only 70 miles from Mankato on a four lane Highway (169), most of my friends and neighbors never went to "The Cities" Many of the parents just had no interest or did not want to spend the money. Others were afraid of the big city and were sure they would get mugged, or at best- lost on that four lane highway.

Change Mankato to any small or medium sized town in the upper Midwest within a days drive and I am sure there were millions of kids whose parents never took them to the Twin Cities and maybe did not take their first trip up there until they were adults.

Is this a "good old days simpler time" story of a time gone by or is it still quite common that many small town Minnesota kids never have visited the Twin Cities?

[TravisW]

There was probably nothing that you needed in the Cities.

[golfgal]

Traveling in the 60's and early 70's was a lot different then it is today. 169 wasn't the nice 4 lane highway it is today and like Travis said, there probably wasn't a reason to go to the Twin Cities. Not everyone enjoys going to a Twins Game or had relatives there.

I would say that a very, very small percentage of people living in Minnesota today have not been to the Twin Cities now. Again, not everyone has a reason to go to the Twin Cities on a regular basis. I know when we lived in SW MN had we not had relatives in the cities we would not have gone to the cities often, maybe once/year.

[Oildog]

In smaller towns there is a lot of pressure to keep doing business locally. A shopping trip to the cities was frowned on by other business owners in the area. I knew folks who would unload packages at night hoping no one would see them.

[golfgal]

Originally Posted by Oildog

In smaller towns there is a lot of pressure to keep doing business locally. A shopping trip to the cities was frowned on by other business owners in the area. I knew folks who would unload packages at night hoping no one would see them.

This is true too, in a smaller town you are buying from your friends vs buying from a store.

[DaPerpKazoo]

I had a teacher once who grew up on a farm in Minnetrista and said that the first time she went to Minneapolis was when she was 19. I find that amazing that an area that is now an outer-ring suburb would have kids growing up in it not visiting the city until they were 19.

[big daryle]

I grew up in the 60'sand 70's about 40 miles from the Twin Cities. In those days we very rarely went to the Twin Cities, the mentality was different then. Minneapolis seemed about as far away as Jupiter.