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Ft. Gibson established April 21, 1824 as Catonment Gibson. Named for Colonel George Gibson, head of the U.S. Army's commissary department. <complete>

Catonment Gibson was designated as a post office Feb 28, 1827, making it the 3rd one in Indian Territory. John Nicks was the postmaster. <pg 11> General John Nicks was the first sutler (an early day term for post exchange operator) at Cantonment Gibson. He established his store in the early days of the post and was an important member of the organization until his death in 1831 pg 5 . General Nicks died of pneumonia Dec 31, 1831, and his wife, Sarah, became sutler for the post, which gave her the distinction of being the first woman sutler in the United States, and one of the first women employed by the government. Pg 18 <photo of Marah Perkins Nicks-Gibson is on pg 18>

Colonel A.P. Chouteau had acquired the trading post at Three Forks by the time Cantonment Gibson was established. He had married an Osage and become proficient in dealing with both the Osages and the Cherokees. Pg 4 Colonel August Pierre Chouteau died Dec 25, 1838. Pg 37

Captain Pierce Mason Butler came to Cantonment Gibson in the initial group and had been in charge of the construction of the fort. He was born April 11, 1798 at Mount Willing, S.C. It was while he was stationed at Cantonment Gibson that he met, courted, and married Miranda Julia DuVal, sister of Edward DuVal, Agent to the Cherokees. Captain Bulter resigned from the army in 1829, settling in Columbia, SC. Pg 7

According to tradition, there is one building at least that was built before the establishment of Cantonment Gibson which is still standing. It has been called by various names. It is currently called the Ross Kneeland Home after Dr. R D Ross. Sometimes it is called the Bess Howard Home after the occupant at the turn of the century. pg 7 & 8

Another house that dates back to the early days of Cantonment Gibson is what is now known as the Isom House. .... It appears on the earliest map of Cantonment Gibson, as sketched by Lieutenant Arnold Harris. The map, which is now in the National Archives, indicates that is was the "private property of Lieutenant Seawell". It was the home of Principal Chief William Potter Ross during his first term as Chief. .... It has been determined that George Sanders lived here in 1895, and the first transaction on the abstract, according to Hubbell, is Dated Nov 2, 1908, showing Lizzie A Sanders - George Sander's wife, gaining title from the Dawes Commission for the consideration of $78.00. It was purchased by Walter Scott Mar 19, 1909, along with six adjoining lots for $800.00. Allen Isom purchased the property Nov 15, 1918 for $1,000.00. pg 8 & 9

J L Dawson, generally known as "The Lost Captain" surveyed and assisted in the construction of the military road between Ft. Gibson and Ft. Smith. According to the Arkansas Gazette, me married Miss Sophie Baylor March 1, 1829. ..... While in the service he was court martialed in which he was charged that he "did beat Lieutenant C J Rains with a sword cane", reveling his unruly temper. There were charges also that he had not properly accounted for materials handled by him as assistant quartermaster. .... Seaborn Hill canceled his bond, causing some ill feelings on the part of Dawson. Shortly afterwards Hill was found murdered, and Dawson, along with his brother-in-law, J R Baylor, was arrested for the crime by Chief Roley McIntosh. They escaped while awaiting to be transferred to civil authorities and were never heard of again. .... found that he went to Westminister, Maryland, in the Blue Ridge Mountains and lived in relative solitude the rest of his life, joining the Episcopal church in 1871 and was buried in the Westminister Cemetery Jan 18, 1879. Pg 10

Steamboats: .... in April 1827 .. 3 steamboats headed for the landing below camp. The Velocipede with Captain Ray in charge and the Scotia with Captain Gilchrist ... The Catawba with Captian Hovenden .... Pg 11 & 12

Captain Phillip Pennywit .... born in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia in 1793. .... continued to operate his river transportation business until 1847 when he settle in Van Buren [AR] .... He died in 1869 and is buried at Van Buren pg 12

Postmarks of Ft Gibson: May 20, 1828 - Cantonment Gibson, Ark. T. [Arkansas Territory] John Nicks was the postmaster (Feb 28, 1827); Mar 29, 1842 - Ft. Gibson Ark - Marcellus Duval was postmaster; Feb 30, 1870 (of all dates) - Ft. Gibson, C.N. [Cherokee Nation]; June 20, 1886 - Ft. Gibson, Ind.T;[Indian Territory] 1907 - Ft. Gibson, Okla.

Reverend W L Vaill, Superintendent of Union Mission, in his report to the Secretary of War in 1828 was very high in his praise of Colonel Arbuckle and Fort Gibson ...... Pg 15 & 16

General Sam Houston ... It was while in this area that he took Tiana (sometimes called Diana or Talahina) Rogers as a wife. .... it is said that Tiana's almost daily task was to go to this gathering place, wash him with water from the watering trough, and take him home. .... was called the "Big Drunk" by the Indians ... [long article about the time that Sam Houston spent at Ft. Gibson] pg 16 Tina Rogers, the Cherokee wife of Sam Houston, died in 1838 pg 35

Isaac McCoy and Andrew Jackson Donelson made Ft. Gibson their headquarters in 1831 while they were surveying the various boundries of Indian Territory. It was Isaac McCoy who established Ebeneezer Mission in 1832 which is generally credited with being the first Baptist Church in Indian Territory. Andrew Jackson Donelson was the nephew of Andrew Jackson's wife Rachael. He is the owner of Tulip Grove, a part of the Heritage Properties. pg 18 [photo of Rev Isaac McCoy is on pg 18] The congregation of Ebeneezer Mission was desegrated, consisting of Indians, Whites, and Negroes. Reverend Charles H Davis of Haskell, whose father helped to build the Old Foutain Church, successor to this mission on the same property, says that the old location of this church has been changed little and that the name was changed to Fountain Church because of a large spring in the vicinity. Pg 20 <complete>

The Stokes Commission .... headed by Montfort Stokes, at that time Governor of North Carolina, later Agent to the Cherokees, and he only Revolutionary soldier buried in the National Cemetery near Ft. Gibson. Other members of the commission were Henry Ellsworth and John Schermerhorn. They were assigned the Ranger Company of Captain Jesse Bean for their tour of the West. Pg 19 Montfort Stokes died Nov 2, 1841. Pg 43

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