Fort Snelling in Hennepin County, Minnesota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

The Round Tower

Original Structure (1820)

Photographed by Connor Olson, August 31, 2024

1. The Round Tower Marker

Inscription.

Soldiers could defend the fort from high atop this tower.

Some of the musket slits on this building face inside the fort's walls; others face outside This tower was the last line of defense last ditch to military language A 12 pound field sun was mounted on top of the tower in the 1820s.

The garrison flag flew atop this tower from 1839 to 1861, when a metal roof was installed. In 1869, fire gutted the building. Stones reddened by flames are still visible.

In the late 1930s, the tower became a museum. Its walls were stabilized by making them a foot thicker from the inside.

Captions:
Postcard featuring the Round Tower and streetcar line, 1915
At home in the Round Tower, December 16, 1937. Minneapolis Star-Journal photograph
The tower has seen many uses: as an ordnance storehouse, a museum, a private home, and a commercial hair salon.

Erected by Minnesota Historical Society.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Forts and Castles. A significant historical year for this entry is 1820.

Location. 44° 53.569′ N, 93° 10.928′ W. Marker is in Fort Snelling, Minnesota, in Hennepin County. It is on Tower Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 200 Tower Avenue, Minneapolis MN 55417, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area.

It is also in the American Midwest,

in the Corn Belt,

and in the Great River Road Region.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once Rupert’s Land,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

and the Louisiana Purchase.

Other nearby markers.

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At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: DAR Commemorative Plaques (here, next to this marker); Flagpole (a few steps from this marker); St. Peters Agency (within shouting distance of this marker); Executions at Fort Snelling (within shouting distance of this marker); Imprisonment of Dakota Families (within shouting distance of this marker); Three Sisters Garden (within shouting distance of this marker); The Schoolhouse (within shouting distance of this marker); Gatehouse and Guardhouse (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Fort Snelling.

The Round Tower and Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Connor Olson, August 31, 2024

2. The Round Tower and Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on October 7, 2024. It was originally submitted on September 5, 2024, by Connor Olson of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 204 times since then and 13 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 5, 2024, by Connor Olson of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.