This United States Government facility gets its name from the fort located near the confluence of two rivers, the Mississippi and the Minnesota. As a permanent installation, the fort was first called Fort St. Anthony (1820), with construction supervised by Col. Josiah Snelling. The site was renamed Fort Snelling
The fort functioned as a full-time military base during the Civil War and was used as a post until 1947. Today, Fort Snelling is headquarters for the 88th Army Reserve Command. Fort Snelling National Cemetery was established more than 130 years ago as a burial ground for those who died there. This changed after World War I and a national cemetery was organized at the site. The first burial at the location, Capt. George H. Mallon, took place in 1939. Acreage has increased over the years, with more than 300 acres added in the early 1960s.
Historians and trivia enthusiasts will be interested to know that hundreds of graves are dug in the fall for winter use, because of the extremely cold winter weather in Minnesota. One feature of this interesting site is the memorial pathway lined with veteran's organization memorials (64 in a recent count).
Among the notable persons buried at Fort Snelling National Cemetery are several Medal of Honor recipients, well-known sports and political figures, and a former director of the national cemetery.
Fort Snelling National Cemetery is located at 7601 34th Avenue, South, Minneapolis. (612) 726-1127. Visitation hours are: 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Friday, Daylight Savings Time — April through October only. The cemetery is closed on most federal holidays.
