Oklahoma Journeys

Week of September 23, 2007

Fort Gibson Abandoned, 1871

Saying hello and goodbye to a grand old piece of Oklahoma’s history this week on Oklahoma Journeys Celebrating our Centennial. It protected thousands of Native Americans, served as a home to hundreds of soldiers and helped to bring peace and order to the Oklahoma frontier. After six decades of hard work, Fort Gibson calls it quits this week on Oklahoma Journeys from the Oklahoma Historical Society.

From the Oklahoma Historical Society, this is Oklahoma Journeys: Celebrating our Centennial. I'm Michael Dean.

In the 1820’s when eastern tribes of Native Americans began their voluntary migration into what is now Arkansas and Oklahoma conflict erupted between the tribes that were already here mainly the Osage and the various eastern nations. To keep the peace and provide protection to the new arrivals the US Army initially relied on troops stationed at Fort Smith. It soon became apparent, however, that as the number of Native Americans moving into the area increased a fort would be needed that was further west of Fort Smith. To achieve that objective Colonel Matthew Arbuckle along with several companies from the seventh infantry established cantonment Gibson on the Neosho or Grand River several miles above the point that it flows into the Arkansas. Within a few years the name changed to Fort Gibson and became the headquarters of the seventh infantry and the mounted rangers in 1832.

The nations first dragoon regiment called the fort home beginning in1833 and in 1834 Fort Gibson was designated as the Headquarters of the Southwestern Frontier. For the massive waves of Native Americans being forced to move into the region during the mid to late 1830’s Fort Gibson was often the first stop in Indian Territory and provided a distribution point for rations and supplies. By the 1840’s the role of the Fort as a protector from and for various Native Americans was largely over and in 1857 the post was abandoned with the buildings and land turned over to the Cherokee Nation. Then, with the out break of the civil war, the Fort was reactivated in 1863 to serve the needs of those Indian Territory inhabitants who had chosen to remain with the Union. During the war the fort became a key defensive point for the union in Indian Territory. The Confederate attempt to capture Fort Gibson resulted in the Battle of Honey Springs near present day Checotah. The fort continued on redesignated as a supply post until 1872 when it was reactivated to combat the rampant gangs of outlaws roaming the region. The fort remained active through the 1870’s and 80’s helping officials to keep peace and maintain order in the territories both Indian and Oklahoma. In 1890, with the winding down of the frontier era a military outpost in eastern Oklahoma was no longer needed.

It was in this week of 1890 that the US Army officially and for the last time abandoned Fort Gibson the one time bastion of peace and stability on the American Frontier. The Fort in a mixture of rebuilt and original components still stands today as a part of the Oklahoma Historical Society and is open daily for anyone interested in the history of our state. Fort Gibson is located just east of the city of Muskogee. In addition to visiting the fort, you can learn more about those early frontier days by visiting the Oklahoma History Center, in Oklahoma City just east of the state capitol. Oklahoma Journeys is a production of the Oklahoma Historical Society dedicated to the collection, preservation and sharing of our state’s past. I’m Michael Dean.