PERSPECTIVE: Joe Blanner’s Look at STL’s “Great Divorce” Headed for Publication
Date Posted: September 22, 2026
Posted In: Ideas, Regionalism, What we are thinking about,
By Tom Finan, Executive Director and Co-Founder, Construction Forum
I have had a front-row seat for much of Joe Blanner’s decade-long journey researching and writing a book about St. Louis’ “Great Divorce”—the 1876 separation of St. Louis City from St. Louis County.
That book is now headed for publication.
The timing could hardly be more appropriate. August 22 marked the 150th anniversary of the vote that created an independent St. Louis City with fixed boundaries. That decision still shapes how we grow, govern, build infrastructure, provide services, and compete as a region.
Joe’s interest began with a 1911 article his wife’s great-grandfather wrote. What started as historical curiosity became an exhaustive examination of regional identity, government, economics, politics—and human nature.
The story is more complicated than the shorthand version many of us know. The separation was mired in controversy, allegations of voting fraud, and legal battles. Then, for a time, it appeared to work. City taxes dropped, debt was reduced, and St. Louis prospered.
But the long-term consequences were something else: fixed boundaries, governmental fragmentation, and interests that increasingly competed instead of collaborating.
Nearly every generation since has tried to change the City-County relationship. Some proposals sought full consolidation. Others focused on re-entry, shared services, or more limited forms of regional government. All of the major efforts failed.
Joe’s book asks why.
More Than an Academic Interest
Joe’s commitment to regional collaboration is not something he discovered while writing this book.
When I first developed the concept that became Construction Forum, regionalism was one of four central issues—along with workforce, inclusion, and improving the collaborative environment within the construction industry.
The idea stalled. Then, in late 2012, Joe reached out after reading the white paper I had written. He believed the concept deserved another look. That conversation ultimately led to our launching Construction Forum in 2013.
I do not use the term “co-founder” ceremonially when I talk about Joe. He was instrumental in getting the organization started and in pushing us to place difficult regional issues in front of our industry.
Joe helped us bring nationally recognized regionalism expert David Rusk to St. Louis for Forum programs in 2017 and again in 2019. Rusk, a former Albuquerque mayor and author of Cities Without Suburbs, had studied more than 130 metropolitan regions.
Our 2017 program, “Missing Pieces: Solving the Puzzle of STL Regional Collaboration,” attracted more than 500 registrants. When the Better Together plan was released in 2019, the Forum asked Rusk to conduct an independent examination. He produced an 11-part “Regionalism Drill Down” series for our website and returned for a program titled “STL Regionalism: What NOW?”
The goal was not to sell a predetermined solution. It was to put credible information in front of people, ask hard questions, and create space for an honest conversation.
That has always been Joe’s approach.
Construction Forum’s regional collaboration work was recognized by FOCUS St. Louis with a 2016 “What’s Right With the Region!” award for fostering regional cooperation. Joe and I accepted that award together.
Learning From What Did Not Work
Joe’s book is not simply another argument for or against a City-County merger.
It examines what was tried, what failed, and why. It also reminds us that our choices have never been limited to either complete consolidation or doing nothing. St. Louis leaders have considered a wide range of governance and cooperation models during the past century.
That history matters.
We cannot address population loss, infrastructure, workforce, housing, economic development, and regional competitiveness as though invisible lines on a map keep those issues neatly separated.
Joe said the book’s purpose is to learn from the past so St. Louis can have a brighter, more prosperous future.
That sounds a lot like the reason we created Construction Forum.
I am proud of my friend and co-founder for completing this enormous undertaking. I look forward to reading the finished book—and to the conversations it will undoubtedly provoke.
The Missouri Historical Society has agreed to publish Joe’s book, and the two are working toward a publication date in October 2027. I look forward to reading the finished work—and to the important conversations it will undoubtedly provoke about where we have been and where, as a St. Louis region, we go from here.