Fort Washita

Intended to protect the Chickasaws from Comanche and Kiowa raiding parties, Fort Washita was constructed in 1842 on the site selected by General Zachary Taylor, a ridge above the Washita River overlooking the open prairie. Various companies of infantry, dragoons, riflemen, cavalry, and artillery were stationed at the Fort until it was abandoned by Union forces May 1, 1861. The Fort was occupied by Confederate forces the next day and served as a supply base and hospital during the Civil War. Later it was turned over to the Colbert family who lived in one barracks and used another as a barn. After acquiring the site in 1962, the Oklahoma Historical Society uncovered the remains of several military buildings and reconstructed the south barracks. A fire in 2011 destroyed the upper floors of the south barracks.  In 2016 the Chickasaw Nation partnered with the Oklahoma Historical Society to manage the site. Fort Washita is located 12 miles northwest of Durant on Highway 199.