Price Was Right: How the League Came to Be

League members gathered in October of 1913 for an Annual Conference in Rice Park in St. Paul.

By now, you’re probably well aware that the League of Minnesota Cities was formed in 1913. But did you know the organization almost never came to be?

Right after the turn of the 20th century, two organizations similar to the League had been formed—and both failed. But thanks to the tenacity of Dr. Richard Price (and a push by St. Cloud City Attorney John Jenks), the third time was the charm.

A professor at the University of Minnesota, Price greatly believed in the concept of an organization like ours. So when Jenks contacted him about starting a state municipal league in Minnesota, Price took what he had learned in creating the League of Kansas Municipalities and went to work.

On August 21, 1913, he persuaded the mayor of Minneapolis to gather his colleagues for a conference—and the League was born! A second conference was held later in the year with more than 100 delegates.

We maintained our ties with the University of Minnesota until 1974 (more on that in a later post), at which point the League became an independent organization.

While much has changed over the last 100 years, one thing has always remained the same for the League: we are here to serve you, our member cities.

And we will continue to advocate for you at the Capitol, offer training opportunities to help you become a better city leader, guide you through challenging municipal issues, and provide risk management and insurance support.

Read more—and watch an “introduction to the League” clip—for all of the ways the League of Minnesota Cities is here to help your community!