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Historic Forts and Routes

U. S. army forts played a major role in the westward expansion of the United States. During the early 1800s, the army built posts to protect white settlers in the Oklahoma region and to protect travelers who were passing through. The United States government also wanted to stop the Indians from fighting each other. In addition to Fort Smith, constructed in 1817, soldiers built Fort Gibson in Three Forks country in the northeastern part of Oklahoma and Fort Towson in the southeastern part. They army completed both in 1824. 

By 1860, soldiers had built many other outposts. They included forts Washita, Coffee, Cobb, Camp Arbuckle and others. Using these outposts as their headquarters, soldiers mapped the region, carried mail and protected wagon trains bringing new settlers. Several famous military leaders were at one time stationed in Oklahoma, including Zachary Taylor. A hero in the Mexican War (1846-1848), he later became president of the United States. Robert E. Lee became the commander of Confederate forces in the Civil War (1861-1865). Jefferson Davis became president of the Southern Confederacy.

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Other than Indian traces and trader’s trails, the first major road laid out in Oklahoma was the fifty-eight mile wagon road built in 1825 that connected Fort Gibson and Fort Smith. Next, the army built a military road in 1827 that linked Fort Gibson and Fort Towson. As soldiers built new forts and camps like Camp Arbuckle and Fort Washita, they constructed more roads to link them, too.

Several of the most famous early trails in the American West came through Oklahoma. The Oklahoma "cut off" of the Santa Fe Trail ran through the Oklahoma Panhandle. It was a major trade route from Missouri to Santa Fe, New Mexico, and to other points west. From the north, another route, the Texas Road, followed the Grand River Valley. It crossed the Arkansas River at Three Forks (where the Grand, Verdigris and Arkansas rivers meet). From there, the road turned southwesterly and angled across the Choctaw Nation and crossed the Red River into Texas just east of the mouth of the Washita River.

Another important highway was the Butterfield Road. In 1858, the Butterfield Overland Mail began its service in the West. Its route came out of Missouri and ran southwesterly through Fort Smith to El Paso, Texas and on to the Pacific coast. Approximately two hundred miles of the route ran through Oklahoma from Fort Smith southwesterly through Choctaw and Chickasaw country to Colbert’s Ferry on the Red River.

After the California gold strike, the California Road became most important. Gold-seekers from the east rushed to the gold fields. Many came through Oklahoma. The road ran from Fort Smith westerly through the Canadian River Valley, crossed the Southwest and went on to California.

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Rock Mary: landmark on the California Trail near Hinton (Photo courtesy of Fred Marvel, Oklahoma Tourism Bureau)

Study Guide Questions:

  1. Name three forts built in Oklahoma by 1824.
  2. What role did these forts play in Oklahoma’s development?
  3. What was the purpose of the Texas and Butterfield roads?
  4. How did the California gold strike affect Oklahoma?

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