Interested in the history of Fort Washita (located in Durant, OK) we drove about an hour with plans to spend the afternoon touring the site.
The Museum and gift shop are located in a building where the Chaplain’s Quarters once stood.
There we learned that Fort Washita was a US military post (established in 1842) by General Zachary Taylor (future president) to protect the Choctaw and Chickasaw Nations from the aggressive Plains Indians. The treaty signed with the federal government by the Choctaw and Chickasaw Nations (when they were removed from their homelands to the Indian Territory) included a provision for protection from warring tribes in the area.
The map below shows the homelands of the Five Tribes (Choctaw, Chickasaw, Seminole, Cherokee, and Creek) that were removed to the Indian Territory (future Oklahoma) due to the Indian Removal Act of 1830 signed by President Andrew Jackson. Many died along the way, primarily of small pox and dysentery.
The fort also protected wagon trains heading west during the years it was in use. When gold was discovered in California in 1848, a new wave of travelers followed the route westward near Fort Washita.
A diagram of the original fort can be seen below. Uniforms of the Federal troops who originally occupied the fort and the Confederate troops that were here during the Civil War Some artifacts uncovered during excavation at the site are on also display.
The fort was abandoned by federal troops at the beginning of the Civil War. Confederate troops held the post until the end of the war, burning all remaining structures when they left. The property was privately owned for years until the Oklahoma Historical Society bought it in 1962. The site was restored, a museum established, and designated a National Historic Landmark.
We picked up a map to tour the grounds. The first stop was at the cabin of General Douglas Hancock Cooper. Appointed the US Agent to the Choctaws and Chickasaws. When the Civil War broke out, Jefferson Davis asked Cooper to continue as the Agent for the CSA (Confederate States of America). He was promoted to commander of the Choctaw-Chickasaw Mounted Rifleman who found in numerous battles. Cooper died here at Fort Washita in 1879 (and is buried on the grounds in an unknown grave).
The Adjutant’s Office and School were located across the road from Cooper’s cabin, but only their foundations remain today. The Bohanan Cabin still stands, but only the fireplace of the Officer’s Quarters remains. A replica of the type of ovens used when the fort was occupied is near the cabin.
Below are the ruins of the West Barracks.
Some restoration work has been done to the South Barracks, but, again, the fireplace is the primary feature to survive the years.
Foundations of the Bachelor Officers’ Quarters (and three kitchens) were next on the self-guided tour. And the latrines for the fort are located nearby (but not too close to their quarters!)
The original Hospital and the guard house were close to the entrance to the Fort Washita, with the Commissary nearby.
A replica blacksmith shop offers demonstrations for events held here. Also shown is the Corral with the keeper’s house.
We returned to the museum to check out the rest of the grounds of the fort. Next to the Chaplain’s Quarters are the ruins of the Commanding Officer’s Quarters.
The foundation of the fort Hospital can be seen next one of the Surgeon’s Quarters. The Fort Well is located nearby. A monument to the Chickasaw Trail of Tears has been erected here as many traveled through this area in the late 1830s during their Removal from their Homeland.
A Conestoga Wagon like the ones used by the 49ers on their journey west to California is on display. A map shows the various routes used, with Fort Washita a stop along one of them.
The Fort Cemetery was our last stop on the tour. It was a military cemetery from 1842 to 1872, but continued to be used. The Colbert family used it as a family cemetery. When the Chickasaw land was distributed to individual Chickasaw families, (due to Dawes Act of 1887) the fort was allotted to the Colberts, a prominent Chickasaw family. They converted the East Barracks into a personal home and used the property as a farm for many years.
Learning about Native Americans and the history of the Old West is always fun for us. Every place we visit is a thread in the fabric of our country’s story. So interesting. I continue to be grateful to those before us who had the foresight to preserve these sites.
For additional information about Fort Washita, their annual re-enactments, and other events, go to www.chickasaw.net/Our-Nation/Locations/Fort-Washita.aspx.
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