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Barracks at Fort Washita
Leslie H. Butts, OKC
$10.00
Partially restored barracks at Fort Washita (20242.75). Located in present Bryan County, Oklahoma, Fort Washita was established in 1842. Positioned one and one-half miles east of the Washita River, and about eighteen miles north of the Red River, the site of Fort Washita was approved by Gen. Zachary Taylor, commander of the Second Military Department. Construction of the post was performed by men of the Second Dragoons under the command of Capt. George A. H. Blake. The fort served to protect the Chickasaw from aggressive Plains Indian tribes and unscrupulous whites, and it also stood guard over the Texas frontier. During the 1850s the fort was a bustling stop for travelers destined for the California gold fields.
