Fort Snelling State Park Association (Minn.)

The Fort Snelling State Park Association was organized in January 1961 in order to promote the establishment and development of a state park at the Fort Snelling Military Reservation after 320 acres centered around the historic old fort were declared surplus by the Veterans Administration and made available to the State of Minnesota.

Incorporated in March 1961, the Association was instumental in persuading the 1961 Minnesota legislature to pass a bill establishing a 2450 acre state park in the Fort Snelling area with the 320 acres of surplus land as its nucleus. However, the legislature did cut the bill's original $675,000 appropriation for the purchase of private lands within the park's boundaries to $65,000. In order to make up the shortfall the Fort Snelling State Park Association conducted a fund raising campaign with a goal of raising $250,000. Although the campaign fell short of its goal, raising nearly $200,000, the 1963 state legislature passed a $400,000 appropriation for the park and coupled with a $73,950 grant from the federal government the acquisition of private lands within the park moved forward.

Beginning in 1964 the Association led an effort to have the General Services Administration (GSA) declare 141 acres constituting the Veterans Administration's polo fields and parade grounds as surplus so that the it would become available to the state. In 1963 the GSA had proposed using the land for a Federal Office Building and in 1971 the Postal Service wanted to build a bulk mail handling warehouse in the area. Both of these plans were resisted successfully by the Association and the land was transferred to the state in August 1971.

During the 1970s the Association played an important role in a number of development issues related to the park including the restoration of St. Peter's Catholic Church in Mendota, the modification of a sign owned by Univac which obstructed the Fort's vista across the Mississippi River, the continued acquisition of private land for inclusion in the park, and halting the construction of the Watergate apartment complex in St. Paul on 38 acres of Mississippi River shoreline near the park.

From the guide to the Association records., 1959-1980., (Minnesota Historical Society)