Fort Towson
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Fort Towson
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| Location | Choctaw County, Oklahoma, USA |
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| Nearest city | Fort Towson, Oklahoma |
| Coordinates | 34°1′40″N 95°15′23″W / 34.02778°N 95.25639°WCoordinates: 34°1′40″N 95°15′23″W / 34.02778°N 95.25639°W |
| Built | 1830 |
| NRHP Reference # | 70000531 |
| Added to NRHP | September 29, 1970 |
Fort Towson was a frontier outpost for Frontier Army Quartermasters along the Permanent Indian Frontier located about two miles (3 km) northeast of the present community of Fort Towson, Oklahoma. Located on Gates Creek near the confluence of the Kiamichi River and the Red River in present-day Choctaw County, Oklahoma, it was named for General Nathaniel Towson.
It was established in May 1824, under Col. Matthew Arbuckle, on the southern edge of Indian Territory to guard the border with Spanish colonial territory to the south. It was named for Nathaniel Towson, Paymaster General of the Army. Originally called "Cantonment Towson," it was abandoned in April 1829, and the garrison moved to Fort Jessup. The cantonment was only intended as a temporary facility, having nothing but tents and a few wooden shacks, In November 1830, the Army ordered the construction of a permanent fort in the area assigned for the relocation of the Choctaws. A new site was chosen about 6 miles (9.7 km) from the original site. The new fort was reestablished as "Camp Phoenix" to protect the Choctaw Nation, and was renamed Fort Towson in 1831.
The new Fort Towson was much more substantial. The north side was atop the bluffs of Gates Creek. The fort occupied a rectangle containing about half an acre. The officers' quarters consisted of three buildings on the north side of the rectangle. These structures were built of logs, 1.5 stories tall, had 3 feet (0.91 m) limestone foundations and covered porches facing south. Four other buildings were located on two sides of the rectangle, facing each other. These were one story high, but had higher foundations, effectively creating basements. Those closest to the officers' quarters were a combination of sub-officers' quarters, quartermaster's office, amusement parlor, and school room. The last two buildings were barracks for common soldiers. The kitchens and dining halls were in the basements. All the buildings were painted white. The square in front of the buildings served as a parade ground. A hospital building was on the east side, about 250 feet (76 m) from the last barracks building. Stables, shops and gardens were outside the rectangle on the east. The sutler's building, the dairy and poultry yards were outside the rectangle on the west. The cemetery was about 300 yards (270 m) farther west.
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