Press Release
March 24, 2026
Contact: Jennifer Frazee
Fort Gibson Historic Site, Oklahoma Historical Society
Office: 918-478-4088
[email protected]
okhistory.org/fortgibson
Learn About Washington Irving and Mounted Rangers in Living History Programs at Fort Gibson Historic Site
FORT GIBSON, Okla. — On Saturday, April 11, and Saturday, April 25, Fort Gibson Historic Site staff will hold a come-and-go living history program to recount the year 1832 when expeditions of the western frontier were based at the fort. The programs will take place from 10 a.m. to noon and again from 1 to 4 p.m.
In 1832, author Washington Irving arrived at Fort Gibson, which was the last stop on his journey to explore the western frontier. He also traveled with a unique group of Mounted Rangers. During his time with Captain Bean’s company of Mounted Rangers, Irving gathered the materials for his book “A Tour on the Prairies,” one of the first written accounts of daily life on the western prairie and one that reached many American readers in the East.
Fort Gibson Historic Site interpreter Seth Goff will demonstrate the Mounted Rangers’ equipment, some of the equipment Irving brought as an author and the survival skills practiced by all expedition members.
The program is included with paid admission. Interested guests should check in at the palisade admissions office at 110 E. Ash Ave. in Fort Gibson. Visitors should dress accordingly for April weather in Oklahoma. For more information, please call 918-478-4088.
The Fort Gibson 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 okhistory.org.
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Editor’s Note: Photos of the Fort Gibson Historic Site are available upon request.
