| City/Town: • Lawton |
| Location Class: • School |
| Built: • 1871 | Abandoned: • 1988 |
| Historic Designation: • National Register of Historic Places • Native American Heritage Site |
| Status: • Abandoned • Endangered |
| Photojournalist: • AbandonedOK Team • Billy Dixon |
Fort Sill Indian School has witnessed many changes during its more than 100 years in Lawton, Oklahoma. When established in 1871 it served Indian children as a reservation elementary school. It gradually became a boarding high school with an enrollment drawn from all over the nation.
On July 1, 1869, Lawrie Tatum, a Quaker, was placed in charge of the Agency of the Comanche, Kiowa and Kiowa-Apache tribes and one of the first assignments carried out by Tatum was the construction of a school. The school was first established in 1871 about a mile north of its present location and operated there until 1899-1900.
The first stone school building was one and one-half stories high. It contained two classrooms, a kitchen, dining room, and dormitories. Josiah and Elizabeth Butler of Ohio had been appointed to take charge of the school. The Butlers opened the first day of school to seven pupils. At the close of the first school year, Reverend Butler had enrolled thirty-three students.
In 1899-1900; the location of the Fort sill Indian School was moved to its current location. In a report to the Commissioner of Indian -Affairs, the first superintendent of the Fort Sill Indian School at its new location, Julian W. Haddon, made the following report:
Buildings: There are twelve buildings belonging to the plant. All of which are in fairly good repair.
Health and Attendance: The health of the pupils was better than average. The attending physician is a very conscientious and competent man who is faithful and untiring in his efforts to restore the sick and protect the health of both pupils and employees.
Industries: Given that this school is in the heart of an agriculture and stock-raising country, we are concentrating our energies on making agriculture and stock-raising the leading features of our work. The school has a farm of 160 acres of fertile bottom land and 2,000 acres of pasture land under fence.
In 1908, the position of Superintendent was abolished and the school head was designated as “Principal”. J. A. Buntin was the first principal of Fort Sill Indian School. In May, 1955, the position of Superintendent was reestablished with James Wallace being promoted to that position. In the early years of the school, strict militaristic-type discipline was a part of the Fort Sill program. It was not uncommon to observe students participating in precision marching as they were moved from one part of the campus to the other. Former students state that corporal punishment was often administered harshly for infraction of rules.
Shortly after World War I, Fort Sill Indian School was under the leadership of Mr. Edward Shield. The predominate concern’ was teaching the Indian students English, the three R’s, and good personal hygiene. The enrollment was 200 with approximately 12 tribes represented.
The first new building to be added after a long period of time was the shop building which was constructed in 1933. In 1935, the gymnasium was built. The present building which houses the academic classrooms was built in 1933. the first senior class graduated in 1939.
During the decade, 1940-1950, the Fort Sill Indian School emphasized vocational training and home-making at the high school level. Two hundred thirty students, representing the Comanche, Kiowa, Apache, Caddo, and Wichita tribes, were enrolled in the first to the twelfth grades inclusive. Many of the students remained at the school throughout the year in order to care for student projects such as field crops, row crops, gardens, dairy, and beef cattle, swine, and poultry. In the elementary grades, the children had gardens, farm animals, and other projects in which they learned about rural life. In the intermediate grades, cooperative projects had been the means of making money for the pupils as well as training them.
Until the middle 1940’s, the Fort Sill Indian School enrollment had been limited to the following Oklahoma tribes: Kiowa, Comanche, Delaware, Apache, Wichita, and Kiowa-Apache. A combination change in the Bureau of Indian Affairs policy took place at the close of World War II when the school’s enrollment was reduced drastically. Oklahoma students were encouraged to attend the local public schools. Navajo students from New Mexico and Arizona were admitted. This change was justified because of the lack of adequate educational facilities for hundreds of Navajo students who were ready for Junior High and High School. The enrollment at one time was 80% Navajo. In 1960, the agriculture program was dropped from the curriculum of the school in favor of a more academically oriented program. That same year, first through sixth grades were dropped from the program as well. In 1963, grades seven and eight were dropped thus making Fort Sill Indian School strictly a high school.
Later the Seminoles from Florida, Alabama-Coushattas from Texas, Chippewas from Minnesota and a great influx of various tribes from the Northwest arrived to add to a multi-tribe enrollment. In 1970, more of the local tribes were admitted to the school enrollment. Over three hundred students were enrolled. Of that number, nearly 200 were from Oklahoma.
Gallery Below
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My grandmother came to the school at the age of 5 in 1891 as a ward of her uncle, Julian W. Haddon. He had previously been the Superintendent of the Riverside School at Anadarko and in June 1891 was appointed the first Superintendent of the Fort Sill school. He was transferred in 1894 to the school in Shoshone, Wyoming but returned to Fort Sill as Superintendent in 1898. He remained there until 1908 when the superintendent position was eliminated and then transferred to the school at Rosebud, South Dakota. My grandmother met my grandfather, a BIA employee, at Rosebud. He was transferred to the school on the Tulalip reservation near Marysville, Washington in 1911. The school was later closed in 1932 forcing a transfer to the school in Albuquerque, New Mexico. In 1934, after an absence of 26 years, my grandmother, and her family which included my mother, finally returned to her roots at Fort Sill where they remained until 1937. The house they lived in is shown in a couple of the pictures above. It had been damaged in a fire before my grandparents arrived and was to be torn down but my grandfather convinced the school to let him repair it. The family lived there until they were transferred in 1937 to the school at Chilocco, OK. My mother and I visited the school in 1974 and briefly spoke to the family living in the house she had lived in 40 years before.
Thank you for the memories.
Tom Pearson
My dad coached basketball there , his name is Dale Osborn.
He was my coach. He was a good coached. My junior year.
If anyone has any pictures of Gladys Roughface, I am in search of some. She was my mother. My name is Bobby Stroble any pictures or stories shared would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Join the discussion… I went to school with her she was my brother in law’s cousin from Ponca City, he was a BlueBack
Hello Bobby, I went to school there and I remember your Mother. She was such a nice person. I have alot of good memories of the old fort. I graduated in 75′.
My home away from home, my brothers and sisters from another place 🙂
I went there yesterday my dad had an appointment at the Indian hospital so I decided to go exploring because in December 2016 I drive by after leaving the hospital and a low humming began to grow in my ears I got out and stepped on the property and the humming grew into a whisper so I decided on our next trip I would go deeper onto the property so yesterday my dogs and I walked the property again as before the whispering started as soon as I got to the first building on the left the feelings that came over me were so strong. Almost to much to bear my dogs were very skittish especially lyrika and lilith who seems to be like me in being able to see and hear what most can't they sat at the doors talking to and wagging their tales at whoever was there and the whole time I could feel eyes on me behind me in front right next to me i took so many photos and upon leaving a rush if wind blew right past ne like a hand pulling me back i left there yesterday with a feeling of incompleteness and slightly sad I am going back next week without the dogs I was told I can take as many pics as I want and I am going to get permission to enter a few if the buildings I've been to alto of places but this one touched me in a way that I am having trouble understanding
I just read your comments. I went there for a few years back in the early 70s. I had a lot of good memories while there but also some loneliness too being so far from home with no family close by. Weekends and Holidays were the hardest everyone one would go home and the place was so quiet. Sometimes on weekends or holidays a family would check me out and take me to their homes. I always appreciated those times and their kindness. I always remember coach Reed taking me home for Thanksgiving and meeting his family. They were so kind to me.
Sam and Amanda Moats taught at the Golebo School in the late 1800's. Is there any record of the school at that time. I have a small photo of them in that location.
She was my great aunt. I would appreciate any information the Historical Association could provide!
joanewitt23@gmail.com. Thank you!
I attended in my junior year for a few months of the school year, the year before it closed. I met a lot of great kids there. Too bad they closed it.
Anyone know LeRoi Light:D
I have lots of memories of the ole Fort. I was only there for 2 years. My Junior & Senior year. Made lots of friends from all over the states.(68-70). I'm from Shawnee,OK. I seen that Benita W. made a comment earlier. Was glad to see her name. It's sad to see the ole place like it is now,but I do have memories. I hope that there are still many friends out there, that is still going. Fixico (Larney) is still going.
I attended Fort Sill 1968 thru 1970. I graduated in 1970. I made many friends there. I'm from Oklahoma and it
was the best time of my life in High School years. My friend had already been there before I started school there. We were from the same town. I'm glad that she suggested that I attend Fort Sill. I made so many friends from so many states. Different tribes. It was sad to see the school close. Wasted buildings.
gosh I went to school there *74-75 and I loved the place,,,lots of wonderful memories and met a lot of awesome people and made friends with wonderful beautiful people, I will always cherish the time I spent at F.S.I.S.
How can there be achievement awards dated 1996 in that building if it was abandoned in 1988? (See slide 27.)
Fort Sill Indian School was my home away from home for 4 school years. I graduated in 1966. Being at the ole Fort were the best days of my life, I made some close friendships there, and I still keep in touch with them, they are family to me. My wish is that the Fort would re-open someday.
Excellent photo set. My compliments to the photographer. That stack of award certificates that were inexplicably never handed out was quite haunting. They're dated 1996, so I'd say that was the last year the school was in use. Would that be accurate?
No, there were other education programs in the Lawton area that utilized some of the building after the closing of the school. KCALUC was also there and operated the KCA lands.
My name is Joseph Cortez I lived therein the80s my grandma was part of the rehab me ad my cousin we lived in front of the tenniscourts I. Was 6or7 well one day I was looking for my cat so I looked out the window in the firstdorm that faces are house it was the second floor like the fourth window I saw a girl looking at me it was clear as day she had gray clothes on and wild hair she looked write at me I remember my eyes got wet like I was crying i new that ever door was chained plus my grandma told me to stay away form there that the bobo will get me do I know that it was a long time that that girl stared at me I finely run to tell someone ..never seen her again after that day..skin it
My mom attended high school and graduated from Ft. Sill Indian School during the early 1950's. She spoke of it fondly, especially of the friendships she made while she was there. She was Navajo from Arizona and a long way from home. I still have a newspaper article & picture of her as a Homecoming Queen nominee!
What was your mother's name then? My dad went to school there too, he graduated in the early 1950's too. His name is Walter J Conroy, he works at Haskell now (still, at 79 years young!)
myDad also went there in the 1950's and his name was William Henry White and went by Bill.
hello… reading the replies … my father went to school there in the 50’s as well (he’s now 83 turning 84). This is an awesome finding … ~arizona
went there in the mid seventies,lot's of good memories, had a good time meeting different people, stayed there for the christmas break, had a friend from Elgin that i stayed with, hope to go back some day
My Grandmother & her siblings went here in the early 1900's. She used to tell us about it when we would visit the Indian hospital in Lawton.
If there are any of the ole bops out there please comment, I MISS you all and all the good times we had at the Fort.
Does anyone out there remember Eddie Stephenson? I met him at NEO A&M in Miami in 74. He came from Fort Sill in High School. I roomed with him in college. Neat guy. He brought me to Anadarko over spring break. Cool memories with him!
Been to that school even graduated there in one of the last classes really miss it and all the ole bop
I LOVED THIS SCHOOL. I WENT THERE IN 1965 TO 1968 . WHEN I GRATUATED. MET SOME REALLY GOOD TEACHERS. AND STAFF. I PLAYED FOOTBALL AND LOVED IT ALOT. WISHED IT WERE STILL OPEN. WE STILL NEED FACILITIES LIKE THIS FOR OUR YOUTH.
Even though I didn't graduate there, I stayed during the summer to work (first job) at the Ft. Sill Army Base, it was a good experience and I enjoyed the two years I was there from 1968 69. I will always remember the students from all over Indian country, new friends and the teachers. Sure made me appreciate my family at home and taught me to do my best after I got home and graduated from a mostly all "white" school. Thanks for the memories!
Benita, good to see your words. This is Pattis Fixico. Mary Mack''s bud & Ethel Walkingstick friend.
good hear your doing ok.
I remember Mary Mack and Ethel Walkingstick. Sad to say… I didn’t have a good experience there. Was hard for me and on me. I kept getting beat by some of the matrons or always in solitary. Was one of the very youngest girls there and for some reason was always picked on by the matrons.
OMG, it was such a beautiful school when I went there, but I only went from Jan-May of '72. It's so sad, but I remember good times when I was there. But I am truly thankful for the time I spent there and appreciate the education and the realty of "growing Up" knowing that my parent/grandparents wouldn't always be around and I truly learned to respect them.
Comanche Museum would have that information. When Dennis Banks came thru, he was looking at books at the Museum and found his daughter when she was young…..
great site… anybody have a attendance rosters for 1920 thru 1933, looking for Hewie Potts.
Hoo boy. Kinda run-down, ain't it?