Press Release
April 8, 2025
Contact: Calista Stephens
Fort Towson Historic Site, Oklahoma Historical Society
Office: 580-873-2634
[email protected]
www.okhistory.org/forttowson
Fort Towson Historic Site to Host Family-Friendly Spring Fling
FORT TOWSON, Okla. — The Fort Towson Historic Site will host a “Spring Fling” on April 26 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. The event will feature a hands-on map-making activity for kids at 10 a.m., a lecture on Thomas Nuttall at 11 a.m., a picnic on the grounds at noon and a guided nature walk at 1 p.m. Guests should bring a sack lunch and, if participating in the nature walk, expect a slow to moderate pace on uneven terrain. All events are free and open to the public.
Kids will start the day with a map-making activity — beginning with a simple pencil and paper. Making maps was an important skill for explorers to document their travels. Thomas Nuttall, the first botanist to come through the area in 1819, drew maps to keep track of his route. With only a pencil and paper, young people can learn this historic skill to document their adventures.
After making a map, guests will learn about Nuttall. His work documents change in the ecosystem from when he left Philadelphia in 1818 until 1832, including the time he spent in the Fort Towson area. His work captures Indian Territory from the time when wolves, bison and harvester ants could be found, until the time of barbed wire and cattle. He was fascinated with prairies and enjoyed his favorite tree, the Bois d’arc.
Guests will break at noon to enjoy lunch on their own. Fort Towson Historic Site has a pavilion with several picnic tables available.
At 1 p.m., attendees will get back together for a nature walk. It will highlight some of the changes in the ecosystem since Nuttall’s time until now, as well as some of the native plants and trees that would have been present during his time. Dr. Steven Patterson and Jona Tucker will lead the walk and presentation. The pair has extensive knowledge of Nuttall’s work, and their excitement is contagious! Patterson is a restoration ecologist whose current practice focuses on restoring, enhancing and protecting wetlands and other aquatic ecosystems. Tucker works for the U.S. Forest Reserve as an environmental planner in the Oklahoma Ranger District of the Ouachita National Forest, which consists of about 363,000 acres on the west side of the Ouachita Mountains in southeastern Oklahoma.
For more information, call 580-873-2634 or email [email protected]. The Fort Towson Historic Site is located at 896 N. 4375 Rd. in Fort Towson.
Fort Towson Historic Site is a division of the Oklahoma Historical Society. The mission of the Oklahoma Historical Society is to collect, preserve and share the history and culture of the state of Oklahoma and its people. Founded in 1893 by members of the Territorial Press Association, the OHS maintains museums, historic sites and affiliates across the state. Through its research archives, exhibits, educational programs and publications the OHS chronicles the rich history of Oklahoma. For more information about the OHS, please visit www.okhistory.org.
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Editor’s Note: Photos of the Fort Towson Historic Site are available upon request.
