Visit to Historic Ft. Sill

Tuesday morning we set out on a three- goal trip: to visit historic old Ft. Sill, see Medicine Park, and experience some of the Wichita Wildlife Refuge. All within some 30 miles of each other just outside Lawton. We started at the Old Post at Ft. Sill, built in 1869-1870 by Buffalo Soldiers, freed slaves who had fought in the Union Army in the Civil War.






The parade ground was reminiscent of another frontier fort we visited two years ago, Ft. Larned in SW Kansas. But here the trees are taller and the flag pole a little shorter. (For comparison to that fort, click here.)

Two sides of the old quadrangle had barracks for enlisted soldiers, and two sides had housing for officers. Ft. Sill is the only military base from the era of the Indian Wars that has been continuously occupied and is still in use today.
(The italicized section above corrects an earlier version of this post. Corrected on 6/11/09)

The com- mand- er's quarters is still occupied today. It was at this head- quarters that General Sherman received a party of Comanche Indians and wound up having them arrested.

The guard house at Ft. Sill was used for local law enforce- ment and it also housed the Apache medicine chief Geronimo for a while. Keeping civil order was a mission of the Army in the late 19th century; the mission in Iraq is not as unique as some folks think.

Inside the basement of the guard house is a row of cells. Norm stands in the one that supposedly held Geronimo when he got a little unruly on weekends. Geronimo surrendered in 1886 and spent time in prison in Florida before returning to Oklahoma. Contrary to legend, the old Chief did not spend his last years in jail. He and his wife lived peaceably on a small farm near the fort, along with other Ft. Sill Apaches under the protection of the government. Geronimo died in 1909 and is buried in an Apache cemetery near the sacred Medicine Bluffs.


On another part of the post is the old post chapel, constructed in 1872-73. It was the first sight that settlers coming west glimpsed as they approached the fort.

The stone for all the buildings was quarried nearby. This chapel is still in use. A plaque explains that in early days, there were benches, not pews, and often the benches would be pushed aside after services so a party could be held. School also was held in the chapel, with enlisted officers making a little extra money teaching the children who lived in the officers' homes on the post.

Episcopal services are held in the chapel on Sunday mornings, and weddings also take place here.












The chapel stained glass window depicts St. Barbara. She is the patron- ess of artillery men, according to legend. This page from the Ft. Sill web site explains the legend.

Another museum at Ft. Sill depicts the history of artillery, since training Field Artillery Soldiers and Marines is the fort's modern mission. The museum depicts the development of cannons, guns , tanks and missiles from ancient times through prototypes for future systems. This row of cassions is part of the extensive display.

Leave it to me to be fascinated by the oddity in the museum, though. This is Wind River, one of the last army mules, who died and was stuffed around 1930. Wind River stands beside an experimental cannon that was designed to be fired from the back of a mule!

This plaque tells what happened. It is said that no one anticipated the reaction of the mule when this thing was created. When it comes to weapons systems, it seems man can design anything, but not everything will work as expected.