Nestled at the strategic confluence of the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers, Fort Snelling stands as a powerful symbol of Minnesota’s rich and complex history. This iconic historic site, officially known today as Historic Fort Snelling, has witnessed millennia of human activity, from ancient Indigenous cultures to its pivotal role in American military and territorial expansion.
The land upon which Fort Snelling was constructed boasts a history stretching back 9,000 to 12,000 years, with early inhabitants following migratory game herds across the landscape. Approximately a millennium ago, Indigenous peoples at this vital river confluence utilized the waterways for sustenance, transportation, and an extensive trade network that connected various communities. By the 1600s, two main groups inhabited present-day Minnesota: the Dakota and the Ojibwe. The Mde-wa-kan-ton-wan Dakota, or “Dwellers by Mystic Lake,” held a deep spiritual connection to the river confluence, regarding it as their place of origin and the very center of the earth. The arrival of Europeans by the late 17th century initiated a long and intricate relationship with these American Indian nations.
Pike’s Purchase and the Birth of a Frontier Fort
The confluence of the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers also served as a crucial hub for the burgeoning fur trade. Here, European manufactured goods were exchanged for valuable furs with American Indian communities, creating a dynamic economic landscape. Following the American Revolution, the nascent U.S. government found itself in fierce competition with Great Britain for supremacy in the lucrative North American fur trade, making control of key trade routes essential.
In 1805, Lieutenant Zebulon Pike, through the Treaty of St. Peters, secured approximately 100,000 acres of land from the Sioux, an acquisition commonly known as Pike’s Purchase. This significant land deal laid the groundwork for future American settlement and military presence in the region. In the wake of the War of 1812, the U.S. Department of War embarked on a strategic initiative to secure its northwestern territories against lingering British and Canadian influence. This involved establishing a formidable chain of forts and deploying Indian agents between Lake Michigan and the Missouri River. These agents were tasked with advancing U.S. interests in the fur trade and fostering alliances with American Indian communities to maintain peace and trade relations.
Consequently, in 1819, the U.S. Army founded Fort Saint Anthony on the bluffs overlooking the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers. Its primary purpose was to control exploration, trade, and settlement along these critical waterways, asserting American sovereignty. Under the command of Colonel Josiah Snelling of the 5th Infantry Regiment, the fort’s construction spanned from 1820 to 1824. During this challenging construction period, soldiers primarily resided at Camp Coldwater, which crucially supplied the fort with drinking water throughout the 19th century. Upon its completion in 1825, the post was officially renamed Fort Snelling in honor of its dedicated commander and architect. Colonel Snelling, however, suffered from chronic dysentery, a condition that contributed to his volatile temperament. He was recalled to Washington in September 1827 and tragically passed away in the summer of 1828 due to complications from dysentery and a “brain fever.”
Life and Duty on the Northwestern Frontier
The soldiers stationed at these remote northwestern outposts, including Fort Snelling, had a multifaceted mission that went far beyond military defense. They endeavored to limit commercial river use exclusively to United States citizens, safeguarding American Indian lands from unauthorized white settlement until formal treaties were established, thereby attempting to manage westward expansion. They were also responsible for maintaining law and order in a vast and often unruly frontier, protecting legitimate travelers and traders from various threats. Furthermore, the garrison at Fort Snelling played a crucial but often difficult role in attempting to mediate peace between the rival Ojibwe and Dakota Sioux tribes, a task often fraught with complexity and requiring delicate diplomacy.
Economic Shifts and the Fort’s Transformation
By the 1840s, the vibrant fur trade in the Minnesota region experienced a dramatic decline. This significant economic shift was driven by several factors: evolving fashion trends that reduced demand for furs, the increasing availability of less expensive materials for hat-making, and critically, the reduction of traditional hunting grounds for Dakota and Ojibwe hunters through U.S. government treaties. Many shrewd fur traders, observing these changes, transitioned into land speculation, fundamentally altering the region’s economy and setting the stage for more intensive settlement. For many Dakota and Ojibwe people, who had grown increasingly reliant on the fur trade for their livelihoods, the exchange of ancestral lands to settle mounting debts with traders became a difficult and often desperate matter of survival.
As the burgeoning towns of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota, rapidly developed and their populations swelled, the immediate necessity for a forward frontier military outpost in the heart of the region diminished. In 1858, recognizing this changing landscape, the U.S. Army sold Fort Snelling, along with approximately 8,000 acres that would later be annexed into south Minneapolis, to Franklin Steele for the sum of $90,000.
Fort Snelling Through Major Conflicts
The strategic importance of Fort Snelling resurfaced dramatically during the American Civil War when Franklin Steele leased the site back to the War Department, transforming it into a vital induction station. Over 24,000 recruits from Minnesota received their initial training within its historic walls, preparing for service in a nation deeply divided. However, this period also encompasses one of the darkest chapters in the fort’s history. During the devastating Dakota War of 1862, following the conflict, the U.S. Army controversially utilized Fort Snelling as the base for a harrowing concentration camp. Hundreds of Dakota women, children, and elders were held captive on the exposed river flats below the fort through the brutal winter of 1862–63. The conditions were horrific, and tragically, hundreds perished due to starvation, disease, and exposure. This event remains a somber reminder of the complex and often tragic interactions between the U.S. government and Indigenous peoples. After the war, Steele began leasing the surrounding lands to settlers, which directly catalyzed Minneapolis’s rapid expansion into the fort’s vicinity, further blurring the lines between military preserve and civilian development.
The Dred Scott Legacy
A crucial and often overlooked piece of history connected to Fort Snelling is its role in the life of Dred Scott. It was at Fort Snelling, during an earlier period when he was enslaved by Dr. John Emerson, that Dred Scott met and married his wife, Harriet. Despite the fort being located in what was considered free territory under the Missouri Compromise, the Scotts remained enslaved. This critical detail later formed the basis of their landmark legal fight for freedom, culminating in the infamous 1857 Dred Scott Decision by the U.S. Supreme Court. The court’s ruling, which declared that African Americans were not citizens and that Congress could not prohibit slavery in U.S. territories, further intensified national divisions and is widely seen as a significant catalyst leading to the Civil War.
Throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the U.S. Army maintained a garrison at Fort Snelling, dispatching forces to protect colonial interests on the expanding frontier, from the Dakota lands westward to the Rocky Mountains. Soldiers from the fort participated in key conflicts, including the Indian Wars and the Spanish-American War of 1898, solidifying its reputation as a crucial military training and deployment center.
From Decommissioning to National Treasure
Fort Snelling continued its significant military service into the 20th century. During World War II, the War Department selected it as the site for the Military Intelligence Service Language School, a crucial institution dedicated to teaching the Japanese language to Army personnel. New buildings were constructed for housing and education, and the school processed an astonishing 300,000 soldiers during its operation, contributing immensely to the Allied war effort. Following the war, in June 1946, the school was relocated to Monterey, California.
On October 14, 1946, the War Department officially decommissioned Fort Snelling. Various federal agencies subsequently took over parcels of the historic grounds, and unfortunately, many of the original structures fell into disrepair. Recognizing its profound historical significance as the first major military post in the region and its later contributions to the United States Army’s development, Fort Snelling was rightfully listed as a National Historic Landmark in 1960, marking a turning point in its preservation.
Conclusion: Fort Snelling’s Enduring Importance
Even after its official decommissioning, Fort Snelling continued to serve military purposes, acting as the headquarters for the United States Army Reserve 205th Infantry Brigade and its supporting units across the Upper Midwest until its deactivation in 1994. Over many decades, countless deceased Minnesotan soldiers and other U.S. Armed Forces members have found their final resting place at the reverent Fort Snelling National Cemetery, and various military facilities continue to operate in the areas surrounding the old fort, a testament to its lasting military association.
In parallel, the Minnesota Historical Society has meticulously transformed the original walled fort area into a vibrant educational establishment. Through extensive restoration efforts, many buildings have been diligently rebuilt or restored to accurately reflect their 1820s-1830s appearance. Today, the Minnesota Historical Society proudly manages this important site, offering visitors an immersive journey into its past and ensuring its stories continue to be told.
Throughout its remarkable existence, Fort Snelling served the U.S. military for over 120 years, witnessing and shaping numerous conflicts both domestically and abroad. Thousands of Minnesotans began their military careers within its venerable walls. Today, this historic site remains a cherished National Historic Landmark and has been aptly designated a “national treasure” by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Fort Snelling’s enduring legacy is a testament to its pivotal role in westward expansion, military history, and the complex narrative of American nation-building, standing as a vital educational resource and a solemn reminder of past events and the evolving character of the American frontier.
