02-05-2025
Military Matters: The History of Fort Sill
FORT SILL (KFDX/KJTL) — If you look at Fort Sill today, you'll see a modern military installation training the future of American artillery. But buildings at the fort's center remind us of its storied past through the mid-1800s.
The old section of the fort is now a historic landmark under the watch of curator Noelle Scarfone.
'Our first mission as a fort was to keep the peace in the area, with the Kiowa and Comanche, with settlers passing through,' Scarfone said. 'And then our mission switched to keeping outsiders out of the reservation area.'
From its establishment in the 1860s, Fort Sill was active through the American Civil War, the Indian Wars, and beyond. Many forts in the American West fell into disrepair over time, but not Fort Sill.
'Because we have the field artillery school that was here, we have been in continual use since our establishment. So that makes us unique,' Scarfone said.
As the fort remained active, it maintained its old buildings. As the fort's mission changed over time, the fort's buildings also adapted.
'In fact, the visitors center was the office for the Apache prisoners of war. And then in addition to that, they served as storehouses and different things,' Scarfone said. 'So basically, they were just repurposed.'
From I-44, which bisects the fort, the only visible part of the old quadrangle is the stables. Further up the hill, however, is the rest of the idyllic quadrangle with a flagpole at the center.
'We come back over here to the housing, all along the east side and north side of the Old Post quadrangle is housing. It was officers' housing back then, and it still is today,' Scarfone said.
Throughout much of the fort's history, it has been home to American soldiers from all walks of life. The barracks of Buffalo soldiers from the 9th and 10th cavalry are still preserved. Many Native American soldiers served as well, like I-See-O of the Kiowa tribe.
The fort continues to house a veritable melting pot of soldiers to this day.
'We get soldiers here from all over the country, from all ethnicities, religious backgrounds, and they all come together for one purpose, which is to serve our country,' Scarfone said.
As time passes, Fort Sill will continue to be a window into America's past and future.
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