When the sun rose over St. Paul on Sept. 11, 2001, the primary election intended to determine candidates vying to replace two-term mayor Norm Coleman dominated the Tuesday morning headlines. Just 45 minutes after voting locations opened, that ordinary civic process was abruptly upended when an American Airlines passenger jet hijacked by terrorists flew into the north tower of the World Trade Center in New York City. Over the next hour and a half, a second plane struck the south tower, a third hit the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and a fourth crashed into a field in rural Pennsylvania, leaving nearly 3,000 people dead in the deadliest terrorist attack in American history.
Twenty-five years later, a retrospective look at how Pioneer Press photographers captured September 11 in the Twin Cities offers a stark glimpse into the uncertainty, shock, and grief that gripped Minnesota residents. Across the metropolitan area, stunned citizens grappled with a tragedy unfolding live on television and radio. In the following day’s newspaper, a Pioneer Press columnist called 9/11 “this century’s Pearl Harbor, a new Day of Infamy.”
Local Impact and Daily Life Interrupted
As the scale of the disaster became clear, everyday routines across Minnesota ground to a halt. At Woodbury High School, students watched the attacks unfold on classroom televisions while Principal Dana Babbitt addressed the student body. “I think life as we know it will have changed today,” she told them, according to reporting by the Pioneer Press. “This is a day you will remember the rest of your lives, just as I can remember where I was when John F. Kennedy died.”
Many Twin Cities businesses closed their doors for the day, and local landmarks—including the state Capitol in St. Paul and the IDS Center in Minneapolis—were evacuated out of an abundance of caution. Despite the disruptions and pervasive anxiety, local voters still turned out to the polls in greater numbers than the two previous primaries, determined to exercise their civic duty.
Nationwide air traffic ground to an immediate halt, stranding hundreds of passengers at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Among those caught in the travel chaos was Norm Coleman, whose flight to Washington, D.C., that morning was diverted to Detroit. Coleman ultimately made it back to St. Paul by securing a ride in the passenger seat of another stranded Minnesotan’s rental car.
Residents across the capital city sought solace and ways to cope. Some gathered at vigils hosted by local churches, while others stood in long lines to donate blood or fill their gas tanks amid fears of fuel shortages and price spikes. Those with friends or family living or working in New York City or Washington waited anxiously by their phones for word of safety. For some families, that call never came, as seven Minnesotans ultimately lost their lives in the attacks.
Community Solidarity and Remembrance
“It’s absolutely the worst day of my adult life, as far as our country is concerned,” U.S. Sen. Paul Wellstone, D-Minn., told the Pioneer Press hours later from Washington, D.C. “It’s a real assault on our country. I don’t understand it.”
The weekend following the attacks, 35,000 Minnesotans crowded onto the Capitol Mall for a patriotic memorial service honoring the victims. Addressing the massive gathering, former Vice President Walter Mondale emphasized resilience: “The terrorists thought they could divide us, but it backfired, and we are now bound together more than ever before in history.”
If you or someone you know is affected by trauma or distress related to historical events or crises, support is available through local community mental health resources and national helplines dedicated to public safety and emotional well-being. We invite readers to share their own memories and reflections on how their families experienced Sept. 11 in the comments below.
