Citadel in the Wilderness: The Story of Fort Snelling and the Old Northwest Frontier

New York: Coward-McCann, Inc, 1966. Hardcover. 8vo. Tan cloth with gilt spine lettering, pictorial price-clipped dust jacket. 255pp. Illustrations. Near fine/very good. Jacket lightly edgeworn, with spine a bit sunned; 1968 ownership signature on front pastedown. Tight and nice first edition of this history of the historic military fort in southeast Minnesota initially completed in 1825. This copy bears a choice philatelic addition: On October 17, 1970 the U.S. Post Office issued the 6-cent "Great Northwest Fort Snelling 1820-1970" postage stamp, designed by David K. Stone (1922-2001), the distinguished American artist and illustrator whose paintings grace "The Saturday Evening Post," "American Heritage" and other leading magazines and whose postage stamps include the Marshall Islands' noted "History of World War II" series. Tipped to the front flyleaf is a 7½" X 4" envelope produced by the artist himself, blank except for "David K. Stone * Designer of the Fort Snelling Commemorative Stamp * Issued Oct. 17, 1970" printed along the lower margin. Above his name, artist Sone signs boldly in black ballpoint. An interesting and unusual copy.