Red River Ghost Towns

Tips for When You Go
I know that as history lovers,
you'd rather cut off your
hand than hurt any item of
historical significance. Alas,
sometimes our families
aren't hip to historical site
etiquette. My son David once
climbed on a tombstone
while I had my back to him - I
was SO embarrassed and
no one even saw us! So
some rules you can tell your
significant others are:

Watch for holes in
the ground
Don't pick up
anything that
compromises the
integrity of the site,
whether it be a brick
or a piece of metal
Obey NO
TRESPASSING signs
Ask permission to
enter, if you can.
Most people will be
accommodating to
your requests.
Watch for signs of
vandalism. Alert the
historical societies if
you see anything, and
take care that there
aren't any bad
influences lurking
about!
Turn off the car and
explore! Take a
camera, a
sketchpad... close
your eyes and
envision what the
town must have
looked like a long
time ago.

The old store at
Spanish Fort.

In the early 19th century, the eastern portion of the Red River Valley between Texas and
Oklahoma was mostly populated by Native Americans, however sparsely - the Caddo had
already been driven off the land, through force or by fleeing the approaching white man. It was
right after the Louisiana Purchase, and boundary lines had not been well established. Further,
the surveys of lands given to the Choctaw were faulty - whether this was intentional is open to
debate - and the whole area was in dispute. Did it belong to Texas, Indian Territory, or Arkansas
Territory?

Within the next twenty years, the wild grass prairies and wooded hills would be populated by
newcomers. Anglo American settlers eager for the new lands acquired by the Purchase would
try to settle around the river. They brought with them African American slaves. The Trail of
Tears would lead the dispossessed Choctaw into a new frontier, vacated a few years earlier by
the Quapaws. The river, while still a wild stream, was slowly being transformed into a
thoroughfare.

The Fort Beckons
To help settle the area, Fort Towson, built in 1824, served as the frontier outpost to protect
travelers and the newly arriving Choctaw. The Choctaw, originally from the Mississippi valley,
settled near the fort in the town of Doaksville, which they selected as the seat of their tribal
government. Doaksville also became a hub for commerce throughout the region. It would have
its own jail, hotel, and tavern.

Across the river, Anglo American pioneers who'd been chased out of Indian Territory settled
the southern portion of the Red River. They chose a site that they discovered was the safest for
river crossings, and one that was not too far away from the fort and its business. Along with
African American slaves they founded Jonesboro. It also became the northern gateway to
Texas, welcoming the likes of Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston. The town grew into a
sizable river port, hugging the river banks with brick-built houses and warehouses.

Jonesboro found its end rather quickly. In 1846, a tremendous flash flood literally drowned the
town. A contemporary account explained how the river grew almost a mile wide! Jonesboro
citizens decided to move to drier land. Most moved to Clarksville, but some went further west
to establish new settlements along the frontier.

Luckily, Doaksville didn't sit right at the river. It survived the flooding, but couldn't survive the
demise of Fort Towson. As the frontier line went west, so did the Fort's soldiers, and Doaksville
severely declined in population. When the rail road bypassed the town after the Civil War, the
Choctaw moved the government seat to Tuskahoma. Doaksville ceased to exist on later maps.

The Trail Lures
While the frontier stagnated during the Civil War, it rebounded into a frenzied push to the west
afterwards. Small towns west of what is today I35 began appearing. In Texas, Spanish Fort
became a rough and tumble border town. The first inhabitants of the town had been the
Taovayans, who successfully beat Spanish troops by building a moated fort in the late 18th
century. Anglo settlers claimed the site for themselves and named it Spanish Fort (believing the
canon and fort they found belonged to the Spanish). While not located on the Chisholm Trail
directly, adventurous cowhands would visit on their stops along the Red River. Outlaws called
Spanish Fort home, too - its proximity to OklahomaTerritory making for an easy getaway. The
town found its demise when the rail road laid tracks farther south.

Across from another ghost town on the Chisholm Trail, Red River Station (see last edition of
Red River Historian), lies Fleetwood, Oklahoma. Fleetwood served as the last supply stop for
trail hands heading north. Fleetwood remained a small ranching center even when the Trail
trickled to a halt. Until the first half of this century it had a school and grocery store. As
opportunity lured younger people to the larger towns, Fleetwood succumbed to modern flight.

I chose to include these four ghost towns because each were directly related to one another.
As you can read from their histories, the Red River Valley is indeed interconnected, the river
not separating two states but defining their shared past.

Know Your History

The main reason why
none of these towns exist
as such today is that the
railroads bypassed them.

Traveling History
Here's how to get to these sites and what you'll see. Some of the ghost towns still
have residents; others only exist through the text of historical markers.

Doaksville - Off US 70 in Fort Towson, take the north road to the cemetery (signs
posted). Drive to the back of the cemetery (which is worth a visit in its own right,
with WPA built stone walls and hand carved tombstones) and you'll find a set of
stairs. After traversing them you'll enter a trail leading to the old Doaksville
settlement. An archeological survey done by the Oklahoma Historical Association
uncovered several stone foundations. Along the trail, signs explain what the
remnants once contained. This is a fun but eerie walk through a deserted town in
the middle of a forest. I heard footsteps walking behind me when I was there, yet I
came alone...

Jonesboro - Located on a tight bend of FM 410 where the settlement of Davenport
now lies (FM 410 is a looping road that connects on both ends to FM 195 in north
western Red River County). You'll find a roadside park with a few historical markers
and an old tombstone which was discovered by a farmer plowing his field. After the
flood of 1846, Jonesboro was carried off brick by brick by other settlers. Even the
graveyard was dismantled. Martha Sue Stroud, resident Red River County historian,
details the sad demise in her outstanding book, "Gateway to Texas: The History of
Red River County." Further down the road is the site of a Caddo archeological
excavation.

Spanish Fort - This "ghost town" has still quite a few residents, but is considered a
ghost nonetheless for the history that used to be here. Situated on FM 103 (north off
US 82 in Nocona - follow the signs), it sits close to the river. You'll find an old store,
abandoned school, and an historical marker. Don't miss Old Spanish Fort Cemetery,
where gunfights ended many of the lives buried there. The remains of the fort are on
private land.

Fleetwood - Take US 81 to Terral, then turn east down Main Street (follow the
historical marker sign). The old store catches you by surprise. Northeast behind the
store are the remains of the school house. Further east down the road is a group of
markers recounting the history of Fleetwood, and explains that you're standing now
on the Chisholm Trail. The sweeping views alone are worth the trip.

At this cistern in Doaksville, the last
Confederate General, Stand Watie,
surrendered.

Jail ruins in Doaksville,
which is now a protected
archeological site

Looking inside the abandoned store in Fleetwood,
Oklahoma. See any ghosts? I don't, but I do see
some bullet holes...

The grave of Jane Chandler Gill at Jonesboro is said
to be the oldest Anglo grave in Texas, or at least the
Red River Valley. While the historical marker claims
she died in 1816, Skipper Steeley, a historian from
Paris, Texas, found evidence that she actually died
in 1846. There goes the claim for the "oldest Anglo
grave in Texas!. A farmer found her tombstone as he
plowed his field - the abandoned remains of the
town, including its cemetery, had been picked off by
settlers.

Right: This unmarked cement grave at the Old
Spanish Fort cemetery looks a little like a shroud...

Red River
Ghost Towns