Washita Battlefield National Historic Site

Washita Battlefield

Washita Battlefield
Nearest city Cheyenne, Oklahoma
Area 315 acres (1.27 km2) in Roger Mills County, Oklahoma, USA
Website Washita Battlefield National Historic Site
NRHP Reference # 66000633
Significant dates
Added to NRHP October 15, 1966[1]
Designated NHL January 12, 1965[2]

Washita Battlefield National Historic Site protects and interprets the site of the Southern Cheyenne village of Chief Black Kettle where the Battle of Washita occurred. The site, a National Historic Landmark, is located about 150 miles (241 km) west of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, near Cheyenne, Oklahoma.

Just before dawn on November 27, 1868, the village was attacked by the 7th U.S. Cavalry under Lt. Col. George Custer.

The strike was hailed at the time by the military and many civilians as a significant victory aimed at reducing Indian raids on frontier settlements as it forced the Cheyenne back to the reservation set aside for them.

However, Washita remains controversial because many Indians and whites labeled Custer's attack a massacre. Black Kettle is still honored as a prominent leader who never ceased striving for peace even though it cost him his life.

The site was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1965,[2][3] and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1966.

Washita Battlefield National Historic Site
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape)
Map showing the location of Washita Battlefield National Historic Site
Coordinates 35°37′3″N 99°42′1″W / 35.61750°N 99.70028°W / 35.61750; -99.70028Coordinates: 35°37′3″N 99°42′1″W / 35.61750°N 99.70028°W / 35.61750; -99.70028
Established November 12, 1996
Visitors 14,215 (in 2004)

Visitor center

A new visitor center operated by the National Park Service opened on August 25, 2007.[4] The center features exhibits about the battle, the soldiers and the Cheyenne, as well as a film and a bookstore.

References

  1. ↑ National Park Service (2007-01-23). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  2. 1 2 "Washita Battlefield". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Retrieved 2008-01-20.
  3. ↑ "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Washita Battlefield" (PDF). National Park Service. and Accompanying 4 photos from 1975 and undated. (254 KB)
  4. ↑ Park News
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