Gopher Ordnance Works

In 1945, a massive munitions plant opened south of Minneapolis to produce smokeless gun powder to supply the US forces fighting in World War II.
—–Editor: Britt Aamodt Producer: Britt Aamodt Editorial support: Emily Krumberger Mixing & mastering: Chris Harwood
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Transcript

MN90 Intro: Welcome to MN90: Minnesota History in 90 Seconds.

In 1943, United States munitions plants produced billions of rounds of small arms ammo and millions of tons of artillery shells. Just over one third of eligible American men were in uniform, and 300,000 of them were from Minnesota. It was the middle of World War II, but no one knew that at the time. For all anyone could predict, the largest armed conflict in human history might go on indefinitely or end tomorrow. It was in this time of uncertainty that the US government seized thousands of acres of farmland just south of Minneapolis to build yet another munitions plant. This one would produce smokeless gunpowder, a life saver for snipers, riflemen and artillery gunners who didn't need a smoke trail giving away their positions. A year and a half later, Gopher Ordnance Works finally opened. Chemicals were combined, heated, cooled and carted through the massive buildings, and the smokeless gunpowder sent off to far away battles. But only three months later, the plant closed. The war was winding down, ending in September 1945.

MN90 Outro: MN90 is produced by AMPERS, diverse radio for Minnesota's communities, made possible by funding from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. Online at mn90.org.