Minnesota Naval Militia

The Minnesota Naval Militia is the currently inactive naval militia of Minnesota. As a naval militia, the Minnesota Naval Militia served as a Navy and Marine Corps parallel to the National Guard, where, like the soldiers of the Army National Guard and the airmen of the Air National Guard, sailors and marines could serve in a dual federal and state role as state military forces answerable to the governor, unless federalized and deployed by the federal government. The naval militia served as an active component of the organized militia from 1903 until the end of World War II.

The Minnesota Naval Militia was first authorized by the Minnesota Legislature, when in 1899, they authorized a state naval reserve open to veterans of the United States Navy who had completed at least one tour of duty. In 1903, after obtaining permission from the State Department and the War Department, two divisions were organized. In 1905, the legislature officially changed the designation of the naval reserve to the Minnesota Naval Militia, bringing it in line with federal legislation that offered support to state naval militias. In 1906, the Minnesota Naval Militia received the USS Gopher for training purposes.

The same year, a boathouse and pier were built near the yacht basin on the harbor side of Park Point to serve as a meeting place for the naval militia. In 1911, the naval militia used the USS Gopher to bring firefighters and supplies to fight a forest fire near Grand Marais, Minnesota. In 1915, a new 65-room National Guard armory was opened in Duluth to be used jointly by the Minnesota Army National Guard and the Minnesota Naval Militia.

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