Fort Towson (Choctaw County, Oklahoma)
Choctaw County · Oklahoma · Indian Wars, Civil War
History & Significance
Established as a fortification on the international boundary with Mexico (Texas) and a buffer between Plains Indians and the Choctaw slated for removal from Mississippi. The post consisted of tents and wooden buildings with a garrison of roughly one hundred men.
Troops ensured traders and poachers did not hunt or sell liquor on Indian lands, removed white settlers, and struggled to keep peace between settlers and local Indians. The post was abandoned in 1829 but reestablished in 1830 as Camp Phoenix when the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek was concluded with the Choctaw, soon renamed Fort Towson.
By 1834, over 12,000 Choctaw had arrived in Indian Territory. During the Texas Revolution, the garrison increased dramatically to over 500 regular infantry and dragoons plus volunteer militia stationed in 1836.
During the Mexican War (1846–48) Fort Towson served as a staging area for troops headed for Mexico. After Fort Washita was constructed 70 miles west in 1842, Fort Towson was garrisoned until June 1854.
During the Civil War, General Samuel Bell Maxey chose it as headquarters for Confederate forces in Indian Territory. The Oklahoma Historical Society acquired the Fort Towson property in 1967. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970.
Key Facts
Map
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🧳 Visiting
What you’ll see when you visit:
- Restored frontier military buildings from the Indian Wars and Civil War era
- Choctaw Nation history and Indian Removal interpretation
- Historic grounds overlooking the landscape where U.S.-Spanish colonial border was guarded
- Museum exhibits on fort's role as Indian Agency
- Original outpost layout preserved as historic site
Sources
- https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=FO044/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Towson
- https://www.okhistory.org/sites/forttowson
- https://theclio.com/entry/7457