U.S. #1409
6¢ Fort Snelling
Issue Date: October 17, 1970
City: Fort Snelling, MN
Quantity: 134,795,000
Printed By: Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Printing Method: Lithographed and engraved
Perforations: 11
Color: Yellow and multicolored
U.S. #1409 commemorates the 150th anniversary of Fort Snelling.
Fort Snelling Fostered Western Settlement
The United States gained ownership of Minnesota through the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. However, this wild land did not come under the control of the U.S. government for several more years. Fort Snelling was completed at the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers in 1825. This fort, named after Colonel Josiah Snelling, who was charged with its construction, was key to controlling the fur trade, as well as settlement of the Northwest.