Fort Gibson, Oklahoma
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Fort Gibson is a town in
Cherokee The Cherokee (; , or ) people are one of the Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, they were concentrated in their homelands, in towns along river valleys of what is now southwestern ...
and Muskogee counties in the
U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...
of
Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...
. The population was 3,814 as of the 2020 Census. It is the location of Fort Gibson Historical Site and Fort Gibson National Cemetery and is located near the end of the
Cherokee The Cherokee (; , or ) people are one of the Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, they were concentrated in their homelands, in towns along river valleys of what is now southwestern ...
s'
Trail of Tears The Trail of Tears was the forced displacement of about 60,000 people of the " Five Civilized Tribes" between 1830 and 1850, and the additional thousands of Native Americans and their black slaves within that were ethnically cleansed by the U ...
at Tahlequah. Colonel
Matthew Arbuckle Brig. Gen. (Bvt) Matthew Arbuckle, Jr (1778–1851) was a career soldier in the U.S. Army closely identified with the Indian Territory for the last thirty years of his life. Biography Early life He was born 28 December 1778 in Greenbrier Coun ...
of the United States Army established
Fort Gibson Fort Gibson is a historic military site next to the modern city of Fort Gibson, in Muskogee County Oklahoma. It guarded the American frontier in Indian Territory from 1824 to 1888. When it was constructed, the fort was farther west than any ot ...
in 1824. The Army abandoned the fort in 1890. A recreation of the fort stands at the historic site, which was built as a
Works Progress Administration The Works Progress Administration (WPA; from 1935 to 1939, then known as the Work Projects Administration from 1939 to 1943) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to car ...
project between 1935 and 1939, at a different location from the original fort. The town calls itself "The Oldest Town in Oklahoma."


History

Fort Gibson was originally established as a military garrison, Cantonment Gibson, in April 1824. The camp was set up to facilitate U.S. government policies of westward expansion and Indian removal. After the founding of Fort Gibson in 1824, military families, Indians desiring military protection, and free African-Americans settled near the fort, forming a town. After the Army abandoned Fort Gibson in 1857, the Cherokee Nation took over the military stockade and renamed the town Keetoowah. The Army reoccupied Fort Gibson during the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
and was renamed Fort Blunt from 1862 - 1865 for Maj. Gen. James G. Blunt. The town again prospered as refugees from fighting elsewhere fled to the relative safety of the fort.Fort Gibson Genealogical and Historical Society
"Fort Gibson,"
''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture'', Oklahoma Historical Society, Accessed May 6, 2015.
By the spring of 1863, soldiers in the Indian Home Guard occupied the fort. For several months, the Federal supported garrison had to fight off raids by Stand Watie and his Confederate backed Cherokee horsemen. Aside from Confederate raids, the garrison also suffered from outbreaks of cholera and smallpox. Sonuk Mikko, an officer in the Indian Home Guard, contracted smallpox while stationed at the Fort and succumbed to the illness. On May 20, 1898, the Articles of Incorporation for the town of Fort Gibson were established under the Arkansas Statutes, placing all of the densely settled areas under one jurisdiction. The townspeople considered Fort Gibson poorly located after suffering fires, mosquitoes, and other afflictions. They moved the town to higher ground around 1900. The first buildings had faced west toward the Kansas and Arkansas Valley Railway (later the
Missouri Pacific Railroad The Missouri Pacific Railroad , commonly abbreviated as MoPac, was one of the first railroads in the United States west of the Mississippi River. MoPac was a Class I railroad growing from dozens of predecessors and mergers. In 1967, the railroad o ...
) tracks. In 1904 the town of Fort Gibson, Indian Territory, was surveyed and platted. In 1904 the town was turned around and situated one block east when J. C. Pierce built the first brick building. In 1906 John C. Berd constructed a brick-and-stone building for his drugstore, and the commercial district grew around these two permanent features. It had 1,063 residents in 1907. One of the oldest non-Indian settlements in Oklahoma, Fort Gibson had other firsts for Oklahoma, such as: *the first telephone, *first drama theater, *first steamboat landing, *first school for the blind, *first highway to Fort Smith *the first interurban, which connected Fort Gibson to Muskogee. In 1896 J. S. Holden started a weekly newspaper, the ''Post''. At least six other newspapers followed in the early 20th century; the ''Fort Gibson Times'' continued into the 21st century. In 1940, 1,233 people populated the town, and by 1970 there were 1,418 citizens. Home to twenty-six churches and fourteen civic clubs and organizations at the beginning of the 21st century, the town boasted a strong civic spirit. The town has a board of trustees type of government. The manufacturing industry supports the majority of workers, and the health care sector is close behind. The 2000 census listed 4,054 residents, and the school system housed 1,900 students at a teacher-student ratio of one to fifteen.


Steamboats

Part of the reason for the locale’s original success was that Fort Gibson was placed on the Grand River (a/k/a the lower section of the
Neosho River The Neosho River is a tributary of the Arkansas River in eastern Kansas and northeastern Oklahoma in the United States. Its tributaries also drain portions of Missouri and Arkansas. The river is about long.U.S. Geological Survey. National ...
) near where both it and the Verdigris River join and enhance the
Arkansas River The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. It generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's source basin lies in Colorado, specifically ...
. This made it the
head of navigation The head of navigation is the farthest point above the mouth of a river that can be navigated by ships. Determining the head of navigation can be subjective on many streams, as the point may vary greatly with the size or the draft of the ship b ...
on the Arkansas—the farthest point up the river that could be navigated by significant ships—and an obvious river transportation point. So, while some of the early vessels operating from the town were
canoe A canoe is a lightweight, narrow watercraft, water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using paddles. In British English, the term ' ...
s,
bateau A bateau or batteau is a shallow-draft, flat-bottomed boat which was used extensively across North America, especially in the colonial period and in the fur trade. It was traditionally pointed at both ends but came in a wide variety of sizes. ...
x, or even
keelboat A keelboat is a riverine cargo-capable working boat, or a small- to mid-sized recreational sailing yacht. The boats in the first category have shallow structural keels, and are nearly flat-bottomed and often used leeboards if forced in open w ...
s (frequently pulled by men on shore with towropes), the town was reached by
steamboat A steamboat is a boat that is marine propulsion, propelled primarily by marine steam engine, steam power, typically driving propellers or Paddle steamer, paddlewheels. The term ''steamboat'' is used to refer to small steam-powered vessels worki ...
as early as 1824 when the ''Florence'' delivered army recruits to Fort Gibson. In February 1828 the locale received a visit from a vessel called ''The Facility'' captained by one Philip Pennywit, and was within three years of that a regular steamboat stop. In 1832, noted author
Washington Irving Washington Irving (April 3, 1783 – November 28, 1859) was an American short-story writer, essayist, biographer, historian, and diplomat of the early 19th century. He wrote the short stories "Rip Van Winkle" (1819) and "The Legend of Sleepy ...
, who had spent twenty days traveling in Indian Territory—an experience documented in his book ''A Tour on the Prairies''—departed the territory via steamboat at Fort Gibson. Steamboat traffic grew and peaked in the two decades preceding the
Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
. For example, the riverboat ''Philip Pennywit'' (part owned by the aforementioned captain) was advertising in February 1849 its regular runs from New Orleans to Fort Gibson. The usual "boating season" ran from January to June, but some ships attempted to operate year-round. The Civil War curtailed riverboat activity, as when the Union steamer ''J. R. Williams'' was destroyed by Confederate forces on June 15, 1864 trying to make a supply run to Fort Gibson. Nevertheless, activity picked up again after the war, as shown by a report in 1870 that twenty cargo-laden steamboats averaging three hundred tons apiece were operating between Fort Gibson and various ports on the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. However, with the rise of railroads, riverboat usage trailed off and Fort Gibson declined as a transportation and commercial center.


Geography

Fort Gibson is located in northeastern Muskogee County. A small portion of the town extends north into a corner of Cherokee County. Fort Gibson is bordered to the west by the city of Muskogee, the Muskogee County seat. According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the town of Fort Gibson has a total area of , of which land and (4.29%) is water. The
Neosho River The Neosho River is a tributary of the Arkansas River in eastern Kansas and northeastern Oklahoma in the United States. Its tributaries also drain portions of Missouri and Arkansas. The river is about long.U.S. Geological Survey. National ...
follows the northwest border of the town and joins the
Arkansas River The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. It generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's source basin lies in Colorado, specifically ...
, which flows just west of the town boundary, then forms the southern boundary. U.S. Route 62 passes through the southern part of Fort Gibson, leading west to the center of Muskogee and northeast to Tahlequah.


Demographics

As of the
census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2000, there were 4,054 people, 1,467 households, and 1,113 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 1,563 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 68.75%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 2.00%
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 19.76% Native American, 0.12% Asian, 2.54% from other races, and 6.83% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race were 4.88% of the population. There were 1,467 households, out of which 43.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.9% were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.1% were non-families. 21.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.16. In the town, the population was spread out, with 30.8% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 11.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.3 males. The median income for a household in the town was $30,975, and the median income for a family was $36,944. Males had a median income of $30,362 versus $21,525 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the town was $14,042. About 14.2% of families and 16.5% of the population were below the
poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 22.3% of those under age 18 and 23.9% of those age 65 or over.


Government

Fort Gibson is located in Oklahoma's 2nd congressional district. At the federal level, the town is represented by Republican Senators
James Lankford James Paul Lankford (born March 4, 1968) is an American Baptist minister and politician serving as the senior United States senator from Oklahoma, a seat he has held since 2015. A member of the Republican Party, he represented in the U.S. Hou ...
and
Markwayne Mullin Markwayne Mullin (born July 26, 1977) is an American and Cherokee Nation, Cherokee businessman and politician who has served as the Seniority in the United States Senate, junior United States Senate, United States senator from Oklahoma since 2023 ...
, as well as Republican congressman Josh Breecheen.


Historic Sites

NRHP-listed sites in Fort Gibson include: *
Fort Gibson Fort Gibson is a historic military site next to the modern city of Fort Gibson, in Muskogee County Oklahoma. It guarded the American frontier in Indian Territory from 1824 to 1888. When it was constructed, the fort was farther west than any ot ...
(the fort site at Lee and Ash Streets) * Administration Building-Post Hospital * Commandant's Quarters * Dragoon Commandant's Quarters * Officer's Quarters * Post Adjutant's Office * Post Blacksmith Shop * Cherokee National Cemetery * Nash-Swindler House * Seawell-Ross-Isom House


Notable people

* Junior Kennedy,
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
player born in Fort Gibson * Teddy Lehman, professional football player * Frank Linzy, pitcher for
San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
* Lee Wiley, jazz singer


See also

*
Black Seminoles The Black Seminoles, or Afro-Seminoles, are an ethnic group of mixed Native Americans in the United States, Native American and African American, African origin associated with the Seminole people in Florida and Oklahoma. They are mostly blood de ...
(''Cimarrones'') * Buffalo Soldiers at
Fort Leavenworth Fort Leavenworth () is a United States Army installation located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, in the city of Leavenworth, Kansas, Leavenworth. Built in 1827, it is the second oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C., an ...


References


External links


Fort Gibson Chamber of Commerce

Fort Gibson Public Schools

Fort Gibson Historical Society

Fort Gibson information, photos and videos on TravelOK.com
Official travel and tourism website for the State of Oklahoma


Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture - Fort Gibson (town)
{{Authority control Towns in Cherokee County, Oklahoma Towns in Muskogee County, Oklahoma Populated places within the Cherokee Nation reservation