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200th Anniversary Commemoration
at Fort Gibson Historic Site
The Oklahoma Historical Society will commemorate the bicentennial of Fort Gibson and Fort Towson this year. Both forts were established in 1824 in Indian Territory—and 2024 marks 200 years since their inception.
Fort Gibson Historic Site will host a 200th Commemoration on Saturday, April 20. The town of Fort Gibson will mark the anniversary with a community parade that will end at the historic site. After the parade, OHS staff will begin bicentennial programming and honor the occasion with speeches from Trait Thompson, state legislators, and other dignitaries. Visitors can partake of cake and refreshments in the mess hall and tour the grounds, which consist of 80 acres and several historic structures and outbuildings.
In addition to the commemorative activities, education stations will be located around the Fort Gibson Historic Site, with living historians conducting demonstrations about 19th-century foodways, weaponry, and civilian and soldier life. Many reenactors will be camping at the fort all weekend, adding to the atmosphere of the occasion.
Visitors can also sign up for Neosho River walking tours to view a replica 19th-century keelboat docked at the riverside where supplies and people ferried along water highways first during transcontinental trade and later with the establishment of the fort and subsequent communities. Click here to learn more about the commemoration.
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Mess Hall and Officers Quarters at Fort Gibson, I.T. (15795, Aylesworth Album Collection, Oklahoma Historical Society). |
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Fort Gibson, established in 1824, was the first US military post in what would become the state of Oklahoma (and it was further west than any other post in the United States at that time). It was located near the confluence of the Verdigris, Neosho (Grand), and Arkansas Rivers.
Three Forks is the area of present-day Oklahoma where the Verdigris River and the Neosho (Grand) River merge into the Arkansas River. The region was a hub for European trade and settlement before Fort Gibson was established in 1824. It was the terminus of the Muscogee (Creek) and Cherokee Trail of Tears and eventually became part of the Osage, Muscogee (Creek), and Cherokee Nations. The Texas Road and the Arkansas River functioned as main arteries for travel—serving explorers, traders, immigrants, and the military. To enlarge and explore the Three Forks map, click here.
Map of the Three Forks area, sketched by Tom Meagher (WATMAP.FOREMAN.0002, Grant Foreman Collection, OHS).
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April adjusted hours at Fort Gibson Historic Site
April 17 and 18 - Closed to prepare for for anniversary events
April 19 - Education Day (event is full), open to school groups only
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THIS SATURDAY!
Spring Bake Day
Twice each year, OHS staff act as historical reenactors and bake bread in Fort Gibson’s original wood-fired oven from 1863. Spring Bake Day is an educational event that allows the public to experience one aspect of army life that occurred during and after the Civil War.
On Saturday, April 6, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., the smell of fresh-baked bread will once again permeate the Fort Gibson Historic Site. Staff will operate the oven all day on April 6, and the fresh loaves will be available from the Commissary around noon and 3:30 p.m. For more information, contact the Fort Gibson Historic Site by calling 918-478-4088.
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COMING SOON
1840s Solar Eclipse Watch Party
The Fort Towson Historic Site will host an eclipse watch party with a period encampment on Monday, April 8, from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. The event costs $10 per person at the gate, with no charge for military personnel, Oklahoma Historical Society members, or children under six. The site will only accept cash at the gate. NASA estimates the Fort Towson Historic Site and areas of southeastern Oklahoma will see the partial eclipse between 12:28 p.m. and 3:06 p.m., with three minutes and 47 seconds of totality between 1:45 and 1:50 p.m. on April 8.
To accommodate guests traveling to the area to experience the historic total solar eclipse, the site will be open every day between Tuesday, April 2, and Saturday, April 13, including Sunday, April 7. Regular admission fees apply.
On April 8, guests can spend the day exploring the scenic site and learning about Fort Towson’s role in westward expansion. The site will come to life with 1840s-era tents, living historians in uniform, and historic demonstrations. Solar eclipse glasses will be available for purchase at the site while supplies last. Experts say eye burns are the most common injury during events like this. The entry gates to Fort Towson Historic Site will be open from 8 a.m. to noon on the day of the eclipse, with the gates and museum closing from noon-2:30 p.m. to allow everyone to enjoy the solar eclipse without interruption from additional incoming guests.
OHS members are guaranteed admission if they are in line by noon. Memberships start at $35 and can be purchased online before the eclipse. An OHS membership gives you free admission to all of The Oklahoma Historical Society’s 24 museums and historic sites across the state for one year, among other things.
For more information, call 580-873-2634 or email fttowson@history.ok.gov. The Fort Towson Historic Site is at 896 N. 4375 Rd. in Fort Towson.
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Lunch and Learn: “African-Diasporic Peoples of Oklahoma and Indian Territory” presentation
On Thursday, April 11, from noon to 1:15 p.m., the State Historic Preservation Office will host a free webinar with Shelby R. B. Ward on “African-Diasporic Peoples of Oklahoma and Indian Territory.” Shelby R. B. Ward is an attorney, Choctaw Freedman, community historian, and genealogist. She co-founded the Beck Genealogical Society and the Oklahoma Freedmen Collective.
The State of Oklahoma and Indian Territories are home to various African-Diasporic people groups, from Five Tribes Freedmen Communities to All-Black Towns and beyond. In this “Lunch and Learn” webinar, attorney, genealogist, and community historian Shelby R. B. Ward (Choctaw Freedman) will address key themes in the genealogy of African-descendent peoples and share research tips for people exploring black communities in Oklahoma. Topics include studying migration patterns, reading self-reflective sources of knowledge, and creating cultural artifacts for family storykeeping.
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Find out more about Freedmen history at OHS
The Oklahoma Historical Society has many resources relating to the Freedmen, and a list of additional resources to assist the general public, scholars, researchers, and genealogists.
When the Five Tribes were forcibly removed from their homelands in the 1830s–40s, people enslaved by the tribes also made the long journey to Indian Territory. By 1861, approximately 8,000–10,000 Black people were enslaved throughout Indian Territory. We believe it is important to share the stories of these Freedmen and we invite you to learn more by clicking the button below.
Pictured: Claude Devoyd Hall, a Chickasaw Freedman (20699.80.44.2, State Museum/Rubye M. Hall Collection, OHS).
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“Carved in Stone: Gravestone Symbols and their Meanings” workshop
Come to the Chisholm Trail Museum and Horizon Hill on April 13, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. for a Carved in Stone workshop and explore the meaning and history of gravestone symbols across time. Headstones often feature more than just names and dates. The language of symbols is international and surrounds us all the time. Symbols embellished on these markers can teach us about social memberships, occupations, hobbies, beliefs, and more.
Adults or teens with guardians will explore gravestone iconography and meaning during this class before moving to the Kingfisher Cemetery to identify and analyze symbols.
The class is $20 for each participant. Please contact the museum at (405) 375-5176 to register.
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Firearms of the Civil War program
On Saturday, April 13, from 1 to 3 p.m., the Honey Springs Battlefield near Checotah will have live Civil War-era firearms demonstrations.
Mr. Seth Goff, Historical Interpreter at Hunter’s Home in Park Hill, will provide background information and live demonstrations with reproduction firearms that would have been used by soldiers who fought at the Battle of Honey Springs. The program is free with regular paid admission. During the Civil War, the soldiers who fought at Honey Springs experienced firsthand significant technological advances in firearms.
The Battle of Honey Springs, which took place on July 17, 1863, was the largest Civil War battle in Indian Territory and on Muscogee (Creek) lands. For more information, please email adam.lynn@history.ok.gov or call 918-617-7125.
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 APRIL IS VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION MONTH!
Thank you, Volunteers!
Over the years, the Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS) has developed numerous collections, programs, research centers, museums, historic homes, and military sites across the state. We recognize that we are only able to function throughout the year thanks to our faithful and steadfast volunteers who give their time at all our locations.
Volunteers make the mission of the Oklahoma Historical Society possible by providing invaluable resources through educational programs, assisting in daily operations, and working behind-the-scenes in collections. Our volunteers help us in countless ways, including sharing the skill of blacksmithing, assisting with hands-on learning experiences, providing living history demonstrations, and finding creative ways to share the stories of Oklahoma's history with new generations.
Thanks, OHS volunteers, for all you do to carry the OHS mission forward—helping us collect, preserve, and share the history and culture of Oklahoma and its people!
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Click event listings below for more information.
6 - Spring Bake Day, Fort Gibson Historic Site, Fort Gibson
6 - History Alive! on the Cherokee Strip, Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center, Enid
6 - Will Rogers Afternoon Frolic at Circle Cinema, Tulsa
8 - 1840s Solar Eclipse Watch Party, Fort Towson Historic Site, Fort Towson
9 - Everyday Oklahoma: “Rocks, Ruts and Springs: Remnants of Early Trails through Oklahoma” webinar with Susan Dragoo, State Historic Preservation Office, Oklahoma City
10 - Pop Night, Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City
11 - Lunch and Learn: “African-Diasporic Peoples of Oklahoma and Indian Territories: Genealogy, Story and Culture” presentation by Shelby R. B. Ward, State Historic Preservation Office, Oklahoma City
12 - "Liquid History: Beer Garden," Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center, Enid
13 - Quilting Workshop, Sod House Museum, Aline
13 - Carved in Stone: Gravestone Symbols and Their Meanings workshop, Chisholm Trail Museum and Horizon Hill, Kingfisher
13 - Firearms of the Civil War program, Honey Springs Battlefield, Checotah
15 - Kilgen Theatre Organ performance featuring Rosemary Bailey, Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City
17 - Oklahoma Historical Society Executive Committee meeting, Oklahoma History Center
18 - Historic Preservation Review Committee meeting, Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City
18 - From the Stacks: Readings from the Carnegie Library, Oklahoma Territorial Museum and Carnegie Library, Guthrie
18 - Thursday Night Learning Lecture: Will Rogers and His America with author Gary Clayton Anderson, Will Rogers Memorial Museum, Claremore
19 - Fort Gibson Education Day **full,** Fort Gibson Historic Site, Fort Gibson
19 - Movie Night featuring Will Rogers in A Connecticut Yankee (1931), Will Rogers Memorial Museum, Claremore
20 - 200th Anniversary Commemoration, Fort Gibson Historic Site, Fort Gibson
20 - Discover Greatness: An Illustrated History of the Negro Leagues exhibit closes, Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center, Enid
20 - Something to Grow About: Earth Day Native Plant and Seed Swap, Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum, Pawnee
20 - History Alive! on the Cherokee Strip, Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center, Enid
20 - “Glass and a Glass!” – Pendants, Magnets, and Keychains, Pioneer Woman Museum and Statue, Ponca City
20 - Pinhole Camera Workshop with Jim Meeks, Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City
27 - Poultry of Antiquity: Using Historical Techniques to Raise Poultry Breeds, Hunter’s Home, Park Hill
27 - “Dirt Tells the Story of Our History” talk with Christina Rich-Splawn, Pioneer Woman Museum and Statue, Ponca City
1–2 - Oklahoma National History Day State Contest, Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City
2 - Boots, Beer, & BBQ Gala Dinner, Chisholm Trail Museum and Horizon Hill, Kingfisher
3 - “Hunter Trapper” Living History program begins, Fort Gibson Historic Site, Fort Gibson
3 - Oklahoma Historical Society Board of Directors meeting, Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City
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Masthead image: Detail of the Report of A.W. Robb, acting quartermaster for Fort Gibson, ending August 31, 1864. It includes a hand-written account of clothing, camp, and garrison equipage used by the post. (1981.119.03, Kay Senseney Collection, Oklahoma Historical Society Manuscript Collection).
To enlarge and read the report, click here.
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