Deer Creek/Bryson Paddock Sites facts for kids

The Deer Creek/Bryson Paddock Sites are the remains of two old villages. The Wichita tribe lived here in the 1700s. These villages were built along the Arkansas River in Kay County, Oklahoma. They show us how the Wichita people lived long ago.

Exploring the Wichita Villages

The Deer Creek Site is located east of Newkirk, Oklahoma. It sits on a low hill near the Arkansas River. The Bryson Paddock site is about 2 miles (3 km) north. It is also on a low hill close to the river.

Life in the Villages

Both sites were like small, fortified towns. They had strong fences made of logs and earth. These fences protected the villages. Inside, the Wichita people lived in round houses. These houses were made from grass and shaped like cones.

Experts believe about 3,000 people lived here. Some of their houses were very big. One house found by archaeologists was 42 feet wide. That's as wide as a school bus is long!

Why the Wichita Moved Here

The Wichita people at these sites were likely descendants of the Quivira people. Coronado met the Quivirans in Kansas in 1541. Later, in 1601, Cristobal de Oñate visited the Rayados near Arkansas City, Kansas. The Wichita probably moved south to these Oklahoma sites around 1720.

There were two main reasons for this move:

• Safety: The Wichita faced attacks from the Apache and Comanche tribes from the west. They also faced attacks from the Osage tribe from the east. The Deer Creek/Bryson Paddock sites offered better protection.
• Trade: The sites were on the Arkansas River. This river was good for large canoes. French traders could bring goods by boat. Archaeologists have found French and English metal tools and glass beads here. The Wichita likely traded buffalo skins and dried meat for these items. Some French traders might have even lived in the villages.

Wichita Farmers and Traders

The Wichita were excellent farmers. Their villages were surrounded by large fields. They grew corn, beans, squash, and watermelon. They also grew tobacco and native plums. They might have grown other fruits and nuts too.

Archaeologists found a very heavy grinding stone, called a metate. It weighed hundreds of pounds. This shows they processed a lot of corn. They traded their farm products to other Plains Indians who hunted buffalo.

Moving On

Archaeologists think the Wichita left these sites in 1758. They probably moved to escape more Osage attacks. In 1746, the French helped the Wichita and Comanche make peace. After that, the Wichita moved south. They found new homes in the Red River valley. This area is on the border between Texas and Oklahoma. There, they became important friends and trading partners with the Comanche.

Discovering the Sites Today

Joseph Thoburn from the University of Oklahoma first learned about the Deer Creek site in 1914. He started digging there in 1917. Later, in 1926, he found a map. It showed a settlement called "Fernandina" in the area. He thought it was the first non-Native settlement. However, that map was made much later, in 1860. In 1981, a historian named Mildren Mott Wedel confirmed that Fernandina had no link to the 18th-century Wichita village.

More digging in 2004 uncovered many trade items. These items showed how the Wichita traded with Europeans.

Protecting History

The Deer Creek Site was named a National Historic Landmark in 1964. The Bryson Paddock site became a National Historic Landmark in 1979. These titles mean they are very important historical places.

The US Army Corps of Engineers owns the Deer Creek site today. The Bryson Paddock site is privately owned. To keep these special places safe, their exact locations are not shared with the public.