Fort Coffee (Le Flore County, Oklahoma)
Le Flore County · Oklahoma · Indian Wars
History & Significance
The site of Fort Coffee became significant when the Choctaw Indian tribe was removed from the southeastern United States in 1832 and transported to Indian Territory, with the location becoming a port on the Arkansas River. In 1834, the Choctaw Nation petitioned the U.S. War Department to construct a fort that would stop the flow of alcohol and other illegal items from flowing into their territory along the Arkansas River.
The garrison succeeded in its mission and also built roads connecting Fort Smith, Arkansas, Fort Gibson, and Fort Towson. In 1843, the Choctaw nation allowed the Methodist Episcopal church to establish the Fort Coffee Choctaw Boys Academy in the buildings, a school that continued until the outbreak of the Civil War, when Confederate forces commanded by General Stand Watie occupied the site.
The Union Army recaptured the fort in 1863, and most of the buildings were burned during this time. After the Civil War, the Choctaw were required to release their slaves by the Reconstruction Treaty of 1866, and many of the freed men remained in the Choctaw Nation lands, with many legally adopted into the Choctaw Nation in 1885, thus qualifying for land allotments by the Dawes Commission.
Key Facts
Map
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🧳 Visiting
What you’ll see when you visit:
- 1834 U.S. Army installation built to control trade on Arkansas River
- Indian Wars-era military site in former Indian Territory
- Adjacent to Spiro Mounds, significant pre-Columbian archaeological site
- Museum exhibits on fort's role protecting Choctaw Nation interests
- Civil War occupation history
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Coffee,_Oklahoma
- https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=FO031
- https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=77873
- https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=FO058
- https://www.fortcoffeeok.us/about-1