Fort Washita facts for kids
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Fort Washita
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West barracks in 1975
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 Location in Oklahoma
Location in the United States
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| Location | Bryan County, Oklahoma |
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| Nearest city | Durant, Oklahoma |
| Built | 1841 |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000626 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHLD | June 23, 1965 |
Fort Washita is a former U.S. Army post and a National Historic Landmark. It is located near Durant, Oklahoma on Oklahoma State Highway 199. General Zachary Taylor, who later became president, started the fort in 1842. Its main job was to protect the Choctaw and Chickasaw people from Plains Indians raids.
When the American Civil War began, U.S. forces left the fort. Confederate soldiers then took over. They held the fort until the war ended. Before leaving, they burned the remaining buildings. The U.S. military never used the fort again.
Years later, the Oklahoma Historical Society bought the fort's land in 1962. They worked to restore the site. In 2017, the Chickasaw Nation bought Fort Washita. They now manage and care for the site. Today, Fort Washita is a popular place for visitors. It hosts many events throughout the year. In 2023, the U.S. government took over the site in a special trust.
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Where is Fort Washita Located?
Fort Washita is about 12 miles (19 km) northwest of Durant, Oklahoma. It sits on Oklahoma State Highway 199. The fort is just north of where the Washita River meets the Red River.
The original fort was very large, covering over seven square miles. It had more than 90 buildings and sites. The fort was not fully abandoned until after the Civil War ended in 1865.
Fort Washita's Story
Native American Tribes Move West
In the early 1800s, the U.S. government wanted land from the Five Civilized Tribes. These tribes lived in the southern United States. So, in 1830, the government passed the Indian Removal Act. This law forced many Native American tribes to move west.
The Choctaw people were the first to move. They signed the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek in 1830. This treaty gave their lands in Mississippi and Alabama to the U.S. They moved to a new area called the Indian Territory. This journey was very hard and is known as the Choctaw Trail of Tears. The Choctaws settled in the southern part of the Indian Territory, near the Red River.
A thick line of trees and brush called the Cross Timbers ran north to south. This natural barrier separated the plains to the west from the prairies to the east. Tribes like the Comanche, Wichita, Caddo, and Kiowa lived on the plains. Sometimes, these tribes would raid the new settlements of the removed tribes. The Choctaws mostly settled in the eastern part of their new land. This area was safer because federal troops were stationed at Fort Towson.
Early Explorations and Fort Washita's Beginning
The first time the U.S. government officially met with the Plains Indians was during the Dodge-Leavenworth Expedition in 1834. During this trip, a temporary camp called Camp Washita was set up. It was near the mouth of the Washita River. This camp was a base for operations in the area. Two roads were built to reach it: one from Fort Gibson to the north and one from Fort Towson to the east. Camp Washita was closed later that same year.
The Chickasaw People Need Protection
The Chickasaw people were moved to the Indian Territory in 1837. They paid the Choctaws to live on their land. However, the Chickasaws did not want to settle in their assigned area. This area was in the western and central parts of the Choctaw lands. It was not safe from raids by the Plains Indians. The closest federal fort, Fort Towson, was too far away to help.
In 1838, William Armstrong, who was in charge of Indian Affairs, asked the War Department for help. He wanted a military post built near the Washita River. This would make the area safe so the Chickasaws could move into their new territory. In late 1841, Captain T. A. Blake led a group of soldiers from Fort Towson to the future site of Fort Washita.
Building Fort Washita
The U.S. Army decided to build a fort to protect the Native American tribes. General Zachary Taylor chose the spot for Fort Washita in 1842. It was on high ground about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) east of the Washita River. It was also 18 miles (29 km) north of where the Washita River joins the Red River. At that time, the Red River was the southern border of the Indian Territory with the new Republic of Texas. The fort was surrounded by open prairie. The closest military post was Fort Towson, 80 miles (129 km) to the east.
Fort Washita was in a very important spot. It was near two rivers and an old north-south trail. This trail was known as the Texas Road in the Indian Territory. It went from Missouri to Texas and beyond. Fort Washita became a major stop on this road. Later, the Shawnee Cattle Trail used this same route. Just before the Civil War, the Butterfield Overland Stage also passed just east of Fort Washita.
Military roads already connected Fort Washita to Fort Towson and Fort Gibson. Later, new roads linked Fort Washita to Fort Arbuckle and Fort Sill. The Cross Timbers were also close to Fort Washita, about 19 miles (31 km) west of the Washita River.
Construction of Fort Washita started in the spring of 1842. The Chickasaw Indian Agency building was one of the first structures. It was a one-story log building with four rooms. It was built near some springs, about 600 yards (550 m) west of the fort. Soldiers from the Second Dragoons did most of the building. They built temporary log barracks in 1842. Getting supplies was hard because the fort was so far out on the frontier. Most building materials had to come from the local area. Only a few supplies were shipped from Fort Towson.
In 1843, the War Department thought about abandoning Fort Washita before it was even fully used. But General Taylor explained how important the fort's location was. So, the War Department approved plans to keep it. The U.S. Army officially started using the post on April 23, 1843.
In 1845, Fort Washita was the only frontier fort that could not be reached by steamboat. This meant it had to get all its supplies from inland.
The Mexican–American War and Beyond
When the Mexican–American War began in May 1846, Fort Washita became very busy. Since it was a U.S. military post near Texas, it served as a staging point for the war. More and more people traveled south on the Texas Road during and after the war. During the war, the number of soldiers at the fort grew from about 150 to nearly 2,000. Fort Washita also housed the offices for the Choctaw and Chickasaw Indian Agencies. The Mexican–American War ended with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848.
The Chickasaws met near Fort Washita in 1846 and wrote their first constitution. They met again in 1848 and created a more formal government, separate from the Choctaws. As the Chickasaws moved into their own country near Fort Washita, they needed more protection from the Plains Indians.
In 1849, the temporary log barracks were replaced. A new south barracks was built from limestone. Major Daniel Ruggles served at Fort Washita from 1849 to 1851 and later commanded the fort. A small town west of the fort was even named Rugglesville after him.
After the Mexican–American War, the 2nd Artillery Regiment was sent to Fort Washita. This regiment was famous from the Battle of Buena Vista. Colonel Braxton Bragg, who later became a Confederate General, commanded this regiment.
The Gold Rush and a Changing Frontier
After gold was found in California in 1848, many settlers traveled through Fort Washita. They were heading west to California. Many chose a southern route to avoid cold winters, snow, and sickness. The main challenge on this southern route was the Native American tribes living there. Travelers often gathered in large groups for safety. Fort Washita became a meeting point for these groups. They would get ready there before crossing into Texas on their way to California. In 1850, General Arbuckle ordered a new fort built west of Fort Washita to help protect these travelers. This new fort became Fort Arbuckle.
Fort Washita's importance as a military post slowly decreased. The Chickasaw Nation and Choctaw Nation became more settled. Raids from the Plains Indians happened less often. As the frontier moved further west, new military posts were built to protect those new areas. For example, the Army established Fort Cobb in 1859.
Many men who served at Fort Washita later became famous. These included George B. McClellan and Theophilus H. Holmes.
The Civil War and Fort Washita's End
Federal troops were still at Fort Washita when the Civil War began on April 12, 1861. Colonel William Emory gathered all his federal troops from other forts at Fort Washita. When he heard about the war, he led his forces to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Confederate forces then took over Fort Washita. Both the Choctaw and Chickasaw nations sided with the Confederacy during the war.
Fort Washita did not see any fighting during the Civil War. However, it was an important supply center for the Confederates in the Indian Territory. It also served as a military hospital. Brigadier General Douglas Cooper made Fort Washita his headquarters for a time. Other Confederate commanders like Albert Pike and Stand Watie also served there. Near the end of the war, Confederate forces burned the remaining buildings and left the post. A Confederate cemetery is still on the fort grounds today. The graves of U.S. military soldiers were moved to Fort Gibson.
After the Civil War, the U.S. military never used Fort Washita again. The land fell into disuse. In 1870, the War Department gave the fort grounds to the Department of the Interior. Later, laws like the Dawes Act (1887) divided the Chickasaw Nation's shared lands. This included Fort Washita. The land was given to individual Chickasaw citizens. The Colbert family, a well-known Chickasaw family, received the fort grounds. Charles Colbert turned the old east barracks into his home. The site was used as a farm for many years. The remaining buildings were used for farming. The Colberts also used the cemetery as a family burial ground. The old west barracks, which was the Colbert family home, burned down in 1917.
Douglas H. Cooper, who once commanded Fort Washita for the Confederates, continued to live at the fort after the Civil War. He died there in 1879 and was buried in the old fort cemetery.
Fort Washita as a Historic Landmark
In 1927, Dr. William Brown Morrison, a history professor, visited the fort's ruins. He noted that even though the ruins were falling apart, they were still very interesting for studying Oklahoma's history.
In the 1960s, people became more interested in Oklahoma's historical sites. The Oklahoma Historical Society found that Fort Washita had 86 structures, 50 foundations, and 2 buildings still standing.
Ward S. Merrick Sr. helped the Oklahoma Historical Society buy the site from the Colbert family in 1962. At that time, William "Buck" Loper and his wife, Lela, lived in what is now the park headquarters. The Colberts allowed them to stay until they passed away around 1963. They are both buried in the fort cemetery.
Fort Washita was named a National Historic Landmark in 1965. In 1967, the Oklahoma State Legislature approved money to rebuild and restore the fort's grounds. In 1971, the Oklahoma Historical Society did an archeological dig and rebuilt the south barracks.
Today, Fort Washita is home to the Fort Washita Historic Site and Museum. It hosts Civil War reenactments and a yearly Fur Trade Rendezvous event. Sadly, on September 26, 2010, the rebuilt South Barracks was destroyed by fire.
Fort Washita Commanders
Many different officers commanded Fort Washita over the years. Here are a few:
- James Dean, Captain, 3rd Infantry (May 1834)
- George A. H. Blake, Captain (April 1842)
- Benjamin L. Beall, Captain (December 1842)
- W.S. Harney, Colonel (June 1843)
- Theophilus Hunter Holmes (May 1851 to December 1855)
See also
