Caddo County Historical Dates

The following is a list of dates of major events, prior to the settling of the county.
Taken from Anadarko Newspaper in 1986


Dragoon Expedition under Captain Nathan Boone traversed Caddo County

Captain Randolph Marcy and party of troops escorted California emigrants across
northern part of county.

1854 Army Engineers survey across Caddo County for Pacific railway

1855 Major Elias C. Rector, Fort Smith, Ark. superintendent of the Five Tribes agency,
was directed to survey Washita Valley adjacent to 98th Meridian for purpose of
establishing reservation.

Indians moved from Brazos Reservation in Texas to what is now Kiowa jurisdiction

Fortifications and soldiers’ quarters erected at FortCobb

1861 March 5, federal troops abandoned posts at Fort Cobb

1861 After federal abandonment, Confederate troops occupied Fort Cobb.

1861 First Indian agency permanently located on Leeper Creek near Washita under
Confederate auspices for one and a half years following federal evacuation

1861 In autumn, all Indians left this vicinity to join either federal of Confederate troops

1862 Camp McIntosh, a Confederate post, was established near the Washita River between
Anadarko & Verden

The Tonkawa Massacre occurred Oct 23, when Plains Indians wiped out the Tonkawas
an razed the agency

In May, the Camp Napoleon Compact was drawn at the camp of that name in
Cottonwood Grove near Verden

In October, the Comanche, Kiowa and Plains Apache Indians signed the Medicine
Lodge Treaty which assigned them to the present reservation from the Washita River south to the Red River

General Wm. B. Hazen was named Indian Special Agent with headquarters at Ft. Cobb

1868 On Nov. 27, marauding Plains Indians massacred the Cheyenne; The Famous Chief
Black Kettle was also killed

1869 In Spring, Fort Cobb was finally abandoned

The Wichita Indian Agency, with affiliated tribes, was established in the lower
slope of the hill just north of Anadarko

Wichita Indian school was established at the Wichita Agency

1872 Anadarko’s post office was established. Name was selected in honor of Nadarko
Indians who were practically extinct

Aug. 28, six civilians were killed and four white soldiers wounded in out break of Kiowas.
Raiding parties tool toll among Wichita and Caddo

1878 Sept. 1 Comanche and Kiowa Agency was moved from Fort Sill to the Wichita jurisdiction

The Wichita-Caddo school, now known as Riverside, was moved and built on its
present site after having been destroyed by fire during the summer

In July, the Anadarko Masonic Lodge was chartered

1895 Major Frank D. Baldwin of the army arranged for the erection of the agency at
Old Town on the south side of the Washita River

Government allotting agents set out allotments for Caddo and Wichita tribesman

June 6, Congress resolved that the Wichita and Caddo nations should be allotted by
December 6. This was not completed so another deadline was set for Aug. 6, 1901

1901 Aug 6, the Caddo-Wichita-Kiowa-Comanche county was opened to settlement and
land sales were held