early days of Camp Coldwater. There was a Sunday Star Tribune article about
the
tower at Fort Snelling:
http://www.startribune.com/round-tower-at-fort-snelling-was-a-lovely-home-to
-grow-up-in/320388271/
Here is some information about another occupant of the round tower:
The early history of Fort Saint Anthony (later named Fort Snelling) is the
subject of a 1938 volume, called "Historic Fort Snelling" by Major John R.
Holt. ( pages 21-22)
"Count Ferdinand von Zepplelin, made his home in the old round tower, when
as a young German Army Officer and Military Attache to the United States
he arrived at Historic Fort Snelling in 1862, while our civil war was
raging. At the time he was 24 years of age. Here he first conceived the basic
plan for a balloon ascension, which later was to make his name synonymous with
lighter than air craft throughout the world."
"He first approached the Union military command on the possibilities of a
balloon flight, and he was scorned, ridiculed, and thought crazy. However
one Spring night in 1864 he actually made a 30 minute flight above the
ground, suspended below a canvas bag filled with gas furnished by the old
Saint
Paul Gas Company."
It was at Fort Snelling that he conceived of transcontinental flight.
Thanks,
Scott Vreeland