Fort Holmes (4)

Fort Holmes (4) (1834-1835) - A U.S. Army post first established as Camp Canadian in 1834 near present day Holdenville, Hughes County, Oklahoma. Built at the confluence of the Little River and the Canadian River near the crossing of the Osage Trail. Renamed Camp Holmes and later Fort Holmes after 2nd Lt. Theophilus H. Holmes (Cullum 584), 7th U.S. Infantry, who established the post. Abandoned in 1835. Also sometimes known as Fort Edwards because of the proximity to the site of the Edwards Trading Post. History of Fort Holmes Established on 21 Jun 1834, by 2nd Lt. Theophilus H. Holmes, 7th U.S. Infantry, under the orders of Colonel Henry Leavenworth, 3rd U.S. Infantry at the confluence of the Little River and the Canadian River. Fort Holmes was built at the southern end of a military road constructed between Fort Gibson and the Canadian River where the old Osage Trail crossed that river. Also built at his crossing was the Edwards Trading Post which was in operation for several years after Fort Holmes closed. This trading post apparently gave rise to the name Fort Edwards for this location but sources differ about the name, the connection and the location. Hart indicates that Fort Edwards was on the north bank of the the Little River and Camp Holmes was on the south bank. A blockhouse and barracks were built at the Fort Holmes site but the site was considered unhealthy and it was abandoned in 1835. Current Status No remains. {"selectable":false,"width":"500"} Location: South of Holdenville, Hughes County, Oklahoma. Map point is from the GNIS coordinates and may not be accurate. Maps & Images Lat: 35.00528 Long: -96.36722 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: 840' See Also: Sources: Frazer, Robert W., Forts of the West, University of Oklahoma Press, Norman OK, 1965, ISBN 0-8061-1250-6, page 121-122. Hart, Herbert M., Tour Guide to Old Western Forts, Pruett Publishing Co., Boulder CO, 1980, ISBN 0-87108-568-2, page 124. Roberts, Robert B., Encyclopedia of Historic Forts: The Military, Pioneer, and Trading Posts of the United States, Macmillan, New York, 1988, 10th printing, ISBN 0-02-926880-X, page 654-655. USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) Database Entry: 2437949 Links: North American Forts - Fort Holmes Visited: No