- Type
- Fortress
- Origins
- 1819 · 19th century per Wikidata: founding, first mention or construction
- Location
- Minnesota, United States
- Coordinates
- 44.8928°, -93.1806°
History
In 1819 the US Army set up a camp where the Minnesota River meets the Mississippi to secure the frontier and the fur trade, and in 1820–1825, under Colonel Josiah Snelling, a stone fort was built that soon took his name. In the 1830s the enslaved Dred Scott lived here; his later suit for freedom became one of the causes of the Civil War. After the US–Dakota War of 1862, around 1,600 Dakota were held in a camp below the fort, and many died over the winter. The fort trained soldiers during the Civil War and both world wars, and closed in 1946.
What to see
On a high bluff above the rivers stand walls with bastions, barracks, stores and the commandant's house, rebuilt in the 1960s and 1970s, along with the original round tower of the 1820s. The fort is run by the Minnesota Historical Society, whose exhibits cover garrison life as well as the history of the Dakota and of enslaved people. The walls look down on the confluence and the broad state park in the valley.
Wikipedia article Official website Wikidata Q480993
Popularity: articles about this site in 12 Wikimedia projects (Wikipedia language editions and others).