Fort Gibson, Oklahoma facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Fort Gibson, Oklahoma
Town
Motto(s):  "The Oldest Town in Oklahoma."
Location of Fort Gibson, Oklahoma
Country	United States
State	Oklahoma
Counties	Cherokee, Muskogee
Founded	April 21, 1824
Area
• Total	14.01 sq mi (36.29 km2)
• Land	13.36 sq mi (34.60 km2)
• Water	0.65 sq mi (1.69 km2)
Elevation	505 ft (154 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	3,814
• Density	285.52/sq mi (110.24/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	74434
Area code(s)	539/918
FIPS code	40-27200
GNIS feature ID	2412640
Website	City Chamber of Commerce

Fort Gibson is a town in Cherokee and Muskogee counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. In 2020, about 3,814 people lived there. It is known for the Fort Gibson Historical Site and the Fort Gibson National Cemetery. The town is also located near the end of the Cherokees' Trail of Tears at Tahlequah.

Colonel Matthew Arbuckle of the United States Army started Fort Gibson in 1824. The Army stopped using the fort in 1890. Today, you can visit a recreated version of the fort. It was built between 1935 and 1939 as a Works Progress Administration project. This new fort is in a different spot from the original one.

The town proudly calls itself "The Oldest Town in Oklahoma."

Exploring Fort Gibson's Past

Fort Gibson began as a military camp called Cantonment Gibson in April 1824. This camp was set up to help the U.S. government expand westward. It also played a role in the policy of moving Native American tribes. After the fort was built, military families, Native Americans seeking protection, and free African-Americans settled nearby. This led to the creation of a town.

Early Town Life and Changes

In 1857, the Army left Fort Gibson. The Cherokee Nation then took over the military area. They renamed the town Keetoowah.

During the American Civil War, the Army returned to Fort Gibson. From 1862 to 1865, it was called Fort Blunt. The town grew again as people escaping the fighting came to the fort for safety. By spring 1863, soldiers from the Indian Home Guard were stationed there. They had to defend against attacks from Stand Watie and his Confederate Cherokee horsemen. The soldiers also faced outbreaks of illnesses like cholera and smallpox.

On May 20, 1898, Fort Gibson officially became an incorporated town. This meant all the settled areas were under one local government.

Moving the Town and New Beginnings

The people of Fort Gibson thought the town was in a bad spot. They had problems with fires and mosquitoes. So, around 1900, they moved the town to higher ground. The first buildings had faced west toward the Kansas and Arkansas Valley Railway tracks.

In 1904, the town was surveyed and planned out. It was then turned around, with new buildings facing east. J. C. Pierce built the first brick building that year. In 1906, John C. Berd built a brick and stone building for his drugstore. The town's main business area grew around these new, strong buildings. By 1907, Fort Gibson had 1,063 residents.

Fort Gibson's Many Firsts

Fort Gibson is one of Oklahoma's oldest non-Native American settlements. It was also home to many "firsts" for the state:

• The first telephone
• The first drama theater
• The first steamboat landing
• The first school for the blind
• The first highway to Fort Smith
• The first interurban, which was an electric train connecting Fort Gibson to Muskogee

In 1896, J. S. Holden started a weekly newspaper called the Post. Several other newspapers followed in the early 1900s. The Fort Gibson Times is still published today.

By 1940, the town had 1,233 people. This number grew to 1,418 citizens by 1970. At the start of the 21st century, Fort Gibson had many churches and community groups. This showed a strong community spirit. The town is run by a board of trustees. Most people work in manufacturing, with healthcare jobs also being very important. In 2000, there were 4,054 residents. The school system had 1,900 students, with about 15 students for every teacher.

River Travel and Steamboats

Fort Gibson's location was very important for its early success. It was built on the Grand River (also known as the lower part of the Neosho River). This river joins the Verdigris River and then the Arkansas River. This spot was the "head of navigation" on the Arkansas River. This meant it was the farthest point up the river that large ships could travel. This made it a key place for river transportation.

Early boats included canoes, bateaux, and keelboats. Sometimes, men on shore would pull these boats with towropes. However, steamboats started arriving as early as 1824. The Florence brought army recruits to Fort Gibson that year. By 1831, steamboats were regularly stopping there. In 1832, famous author Washington Irving left the area by steamboat from Fort Gibson. He wrote about his travels in his book A Tour on the Prairies.

Steamboat traffic became very busy in the 20 years before the American Civil War. For example, the steamboat Philip Pennywit regularly traveled from New Orleans to Fort Gibson in 1849. The best time for boating was usually from January to June. However, some ships tried to operate all year.

The Civil War slowed down riverboat activity. For instance, the Union steamboat J. R. Williams was destroyed by Confederate forces in 1864. It was trying to deliver supplies to Fort Gibson. After the war, river travel picked up again. In 1870, about 20 steamboats were carrying goods between Fort Gibson and ports on the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. But as railroads became more common, steamboat use decreased. Fort Gibson then became less important as a transportation and business hub.

Fort Gibson's Location

Fort Gibson is located in the northeastern part of Muskogee County, Oklahoma. A small part of the town also reaches into Cherokee County. To the west, Fort Gibson borders the city of Muskogee, which is the county seat.

The town covers about 14 square miles (36.8 square kilometers). Most of this is land, with about 0.65 square miles (1.6 square kilometers) being water. The Neosho River runs along the northwest edge of the town. It then joins the Arkansas River, which flows just west of Fort Gibson and forms its southern border.

U.S. Route 62 goes through the southern part of Fort Gibson. This road leads west about 8 miles (13 km) to Muskogee. It also goes northeast about 20 miles (32 km) to Tahlequah.

People of Fort Gibson

In 2000, Fort Gibson had 4,054 people living there. There were 1,467 households and 1,113 families. The population density was about 302 people per square mile. The town had 1,563 housing units.

Most of the people in Fort Gibson were White (68.75%). About 2% were African American, and nearly 20% were Native American. A small number of people were Asian or from other backgrounds. About 5% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.

In 2000, about 30.8% of the population was under 18 years old. About 11.3% were 65 years or older. The average age in the town was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were about 91 males.

The average income for a household in Fort Gibson was $30,975. For a family, it was $36,944. About 16.5% of the population lived below the poverty line. This included 22.3% of those under 18 and 23.9% of those 65 or older.

Historic Places to Visit

Fort Gibson has several sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These are important places that help tell the town's story.

• Fort Gibson (the fort site at Lee and Ash Streets)
• Administration Building-Post Hospital
• Commandant's Quarters
• Dragoon Commandant's Quarters
• Officer's Quarters
• Post Adjutant's Office
• Post Blacksmith Shop
• Cherokee National Cemetery
• Nash-Swindler House
• Seawell-Ross-Isom House

Famous People from Fort Gibson

Some well-known people have connections to Fort Gibson:

• Junior Kennedy, a Major League Baseball player born in Fort Gibson
• Teddy Lehman, a professional football player
• Frank Linzy, a pitcher for the San Francisco Giants baseball team
• Lee Wiley, a jazz singer

See also

In Spanish: Fort Gibson (Oklahoma) para niños