Historic Fort Snelling

St. Paul, Minnesota

Commanding Officer’s House, St. Paul, Minnesota

Tells the story of Dred Scott and his fight for freedom.

Located at the junction of the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers, Fort Snelling was built in 1820s and anywhere from 15 to 30 enslaved African-Americans lived and worked at the Fort at any one time.  These people likely cooked, cleaned, and did other household chores for their owners even though holding slaves in Minnesota was a violation of the Missouri Compromise of 1820.  The most well-known slave to live and work here was Dred Scott.

Scott was an enslaved African -American belonging to Dr. John Emerson, Fort Snelling’s surgeon from 1836-40.  After arriving at the fort, Dred met Harriet Robinson and together they had two daughters.  The Scott family remained at Fort Snelling until 1840 when Dr. Emerson was reassigned and forced to move to St. Louis with the doctor’s wife, Irene Emerson.  

Following his death in 1843, Irene became the owner of the Scott family.  In 1846, the Scott family sued her for their freedom since they had lived previously in free territory.  It took until 1857 when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that slaves had no rights and as property could be moved anywhere by their owners.  This case is now known as the Dred Scott Decision.  

Also in St. Paul is the Highland Park Water Tower.  It was designed by Clarence W. Wigington, the nation's first African-American municipal architect.  Built in 1928, the design for many years was attributed to a white man, Wigington’s supervisor.  It was not until 1976 – nine years after his death – that the community honored his work in a public ceremony.