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Lying in a high spot close to where the Kiamichi meets up with the Red River, Fort Towson was
established in 1824 to ensure the safety of the early Choctaw and Chickasaw settlers. The small
garrison had to deal with a lot of scuffles between Arkansas and Texas Anglos who wanted to
settle in the fertile valley. Because they were squatting on Indian land, the white men decided
that instead of acquiescing to Union control, they'd just burn down the fort, which they did in
1829. The fort rebuilt in 1830 and was dubbed "Camp Phoenix."
As the displaced Indians moved in and established towns like Doaksville (the first Choctaw
capital) and Boggy Depot, the fort stayed active but relatively small. In 1840, it served the
troops that would later fight in the Mexican War, but was closed in 1856. During the Civil War,
General Sam Bell Maxie used the old fort as a command post, and General Stand Watie of the
Confederate Cherokees made it a staging area for his guerilla raids on Union troops. General
Watie, in fact, was the last Confederate Commander to surrender, doing so in Doaksville in 1865.
Fort Towson is now a small historic site managed by the Oklahoma Historical Society. The fort
consists of ruins, as latter-day settlers dismantled the stone buildings to use in their own
houses. A small interpretive center and store houses some interesting artifacts found around
the fort.
Fort Towson is the oldest **U.S.** fort in the Red River Valley. There are older forts, such as the
18th century Taovayan garrison in Montague County (now an archeological site) and several
small, private forts on the Texas side of the river, which are now sitting under corn fields. Fort
Towson's tangible ruins, on the other hand, serve as a reminder of the early Trail of Tears and
the Confederacy in Indian Territory and Texas.
established in 1824 to ensure the safety of the early Choctaw and Chickasaw settlers. The small
garrison had to deal with a lot of scuffles between Arkansas and Texas Anglos who wanted to
settle in the fertile valley. Because they were squatting on Indian land, the white men decided
that instead of acquiescing to Union control, they'd just burn down the fort, which they did in
1829. The fort rebuilt in 1830 and was dubbed "Camp Phoenix."
As the displaced Indians moved in and established towns like Doaksville (the first Choctaw
capital) and Boggy Depot, the fort stayed active but relatively small. In 1840, it served the
troops that would later fight in the Mexican War, but was closed in 1856. During the Civil War,
General Sam Bell Maxie used the old fort as a command post, and General Stand Watie of the
Confederate Cherokees made it a staging area for his guerilla raids on Union troops. General
Watie, in fact, was the last Confederate Commander to surrender, doing so in Doaksville in 1865.
Fort Towson is now a small historic site managed by the Oklahoma Historical Society. The fort
consists of ruins, as latter-day settlers dismantled the stone buildings to use in their own
houses. A small interpretive center and store houses some interesting artifacts found around
the fort.
Fort Towson is the oldest **U.S.** fort in the Red River Valley. There are older forts, such as the
18th century Taovayan garrison in Montague County (now an archeological site) and several
small, private forts on the Texas side of the river, which are now sitting under corn fields. Fort
Towson's tangible ruins, on the other hand, serve as a reminder of the early Trail of Tears and
the Confederacy in Indian Territory and Texas.
| How to Get There To get to Fort Towson, take Hwy 70 either east of Hugo or west of Idabel. The road to the fort lies on the western side of the city of Fort Towson, almost directly across the entrance to Raymond Gary State Park. Admission is free, but donations are acceted! Alternately, you can click on the map below to show you the way. |
| Fort Towson is a small place, with a few relics of its role in frontier times. The 1857 Cannon and the cistern and flagpole grace the fort's parade grounds. |
Fort Towson: The Oldest U.S. Fort in the Red River Valley
| The well on the parade grounds was re-constructed. Most of the fort lies in ruins, as settlers used the abandoned structure to build their own homes. |
| Choctaws and Chickasaws settled around the fort, building academies, churches, farms, plantations, and towns. Doaksville, named after a trading post established by Josiah Doaks. The village became a trading center, where cotton was shipped over the Red River and several roads that led to Fort Smith, Natchitoches, and Clarksville converged. |