The original fort was established in 1824 to protect America's frontier and Native Americans who were moving into what is now eastern Oklahoma from the southeastern states as well as those who had lived there for generations. Fort Gibson soldiers played key roles in the protection of fur traders and Indians, the development of the Texas Road for traveling from Kansas to Texas, the economic and social growth of the Cherokee Nation, the Mexican War, and significant Civil War battles. They continued to serve Native Americans, governments, and other nearby residents all the way to 1890.
The Old Fort Days Heritage Festival, which was initiated by the Fort Gibson Chamber of Commerce and the Oklahoma Historical Society in 1999, is elevated to a new level of performance and education for visitors on April 16-18. The Historical Society, which operates Fort Gibson Historic Site, also will display rooms that are being furnished in the stockade area with a special fund-raising effort and the "biggest ever" reenactment of the military and living history of Fort Gibson.
"The Society is slowly but steadily fleshing out the rooms of the stockade fort," said Whit Edwards, education director of the Historical Society. "We are trying to accomplish two things: Give visitors a better understanding of the function and order of old Fort Gibson, and provide an accurate historical environment to attract more reenactors, who will in turn provide a much better interpretation for visitors."
The overall goal is to provide vastly improved programming during events and on weekends at Fort Gibson Historic Site throughout the year, said Dr. Bob Blackburn, executive director of the Oklahoma Historical Society.
"Our job at the Historical Society" said Blackburn, "is to stretch the precious resources granted to us and to find creative ways to leverage other resources from willing partners such as the Fort Gibson Chamber, nonprofit 'friends' groups, foundations, corporations, local government and tribal governments."
The Historical Society's expanded reenactment for the Old Fort Days Heritage Festival features 15 educational stations much like the well established programs first developed for the Fort Washita Fur Trade Rendezvous. Reenactors cover the 80-year life of the fort. The stations will be open to the public on April 17-18. Music, dancing, storytelling and horse-drawn wagon rides also will be presented during the sixth annual festival.
"We will present early explorers, the Indian removal period of the 1830s and 1840s, the Mexican War, the Civil War, and the Buffalo Soldiers after the Civil War," he said. "Each time period will include the elements of soldiers, nearby residents, traders and numerous others who visited Fort Gibson."
The Oklahoma Historical Society is well prepared to provide the military and living history of those periods. Since 1988, the Society has presented major reenactments of the Civil War Battles of Honey Springs, Cabin Creek and Middle Boggy along the historic Texas Road with from 500 to 1,500 reenactors from numerous states. The Society also has introduced and developed the system of stations for education.
As a result, the Historical Society has attracted resources to help develop Honey Springs Battlefield with a visitors' center and six major trails. The trails give tourists remarkable views of where Union and Confederate forces maneuvered and fought in the significant Battle of Honey Springs, which led to Union control of the Cherokee Nation.
They feature the Union Bivouac of the Federal army, the initial Federal Line of Battle, the Confederate Center, the bridge where hand-to-hand combat took place, the site of the Final Action, and the Honey Springs Depot, a major Confederate supply site.
Another result was the formation of a reenactors group to reflect the tremendous role played by the African Americans of the 1st Kansas (Colored) Volunteer Infantry Regiment in the Union victory at Honey Springs. The 1st Kansas (Colored) defeated two Texas Cavalry units in the Battle of Honey Springs, carrying the day for the Union Army.
Bruce Fisher and Jeff Moore of the Historical Society staff organized the 1st Kansas Colored reenactment group during 2002 with about 20 African Americans who trained and then performed in the Honey Springs reenactment that year. Now, the 1st Kansas reenactors train for regular appearances and have become self supporting with an annual banquet and fund raising.
That reflects what Blackburn was talking about when he said the improved educational events and room furnishings at Fort Gibson Heritage Days will attract resources and expand regular programs at Fort Gibson Historic Site. The more people see and understand the rich, colorful heritage of Oklahoma, the more the Historical Society can do to bring it to them.
