{
"type": "Feature", "geometry": { "type": "Point", "coordinates": [-98.49058, 34.67433] }, "properties": { "title": "Blockhouse on Signal Mountain", "marker-color": "ff7300", "marker-size": "medium", "marker-symbol": "mountain" } } Blockhouse on Signal Mountain is within the Fort Sill Military Reservation, north of Lawton, Oklahoma. Located along Mackenzie Hill Road within the West Range and the current administrative division of Comanche County, it was known as Camp Wichita in May 1868. The blockhouse was established in 1871 pursuant to the Medicine Lodge Treaty of 1867.
The stone structure was constructed on the summit of Wichita Mountain's Signal Mountain encompassing a terrestrial elevation of . The shelter has a dimension of by with a structural exterior consisting of native stone collected within the vicinity of the Wichita Mountains. The four wall dwelling was erected as some of the first limestone architecture as part of Fort Sill's Old Post Corral or United States Army Quartermaster Corps fortification foraged during the American Indian Wars on the American frontier.
The observation post was settled as a meteorological observatory and signal station. The elevated station provided support for military communications between Signal Mountain, Medicine Bluffs, Mountain Scott, and Fort Reno geographically positioned north of the Canadian River within the Great Plains. The Fort Sill, Indian Territory signal station officially commenced atmospheric observations and telegraphic communications on June 23, 1875 with meteorological reports beginning on September 9, 1875.
The Army Signal Corps employed flag semaphore, heliograph, and signal lamp before implementing the signal field wire lines enabling electric telegraphic communications. The optical communication applied visible light along a visual topographical line of sight for distant information exchange. The semaphore communications served as an intelligence assessment of the Wichita Mountains cadastre while safeguarding the transcontinental railroad and territorial prairie trails as an integration of the Westward Expansion Trails.
The mountainous altitude served as an observation of the Plains Indians equine flights disrupting the manifest destiny of westbound wagon trains ostracizing the Reconstruction era at the crest of the progressive Gilded Age. The high ground outpost continually anticipated the spontaneous mobilization of the Old Post Redoubt troops into the rugged terrain of southwestern Indian Territory.
The geology of Oklahoma elevation features an area reconnaissance potentially revealing the disturbance of the prairie by bison hunting and horse breed herds reciprocative to the Oklahoma red beds and the shortgrass prairie of the Comanche, Kiowa, and Wichita Indian reservation within Southwestern Oklahoma.
Native Raids on Military Supply Wagon Trains
The stone lookout station was decisively undisputed at the Fort Sill outpost after Sheridan's campaign during the winter of 1868 to 1869 and the realization of cultural assimilation of Native Americans.
During the commencement of 1870s, the Southern Plains tribes organized native raids on Indian Territory forts and military supply trains exemplifying the prairie plains as treacherous grounds for American frontier expeditions. The Army on the Frontier chartered a defense line of forts throughout Indian Territory and Texas as a deterence for the safeguard of American pioneer, homesteading, and Territorial evolution of the United States.
Fort Sill and Indian Prisoners of War
By Acts of Congress and Department of War appropriations in 1894, the Fort Sill military reservation was pledged as a resettlement dominion for indian prisoners of war confined at Mount Vernon Barracks within the vicinity of Mount Vernon, Alabama.
Fort Sill's Post Guardhouse was developed from 1872 to 1873 as Cavalry barracks subsequently provisioned for a military stockade with historical significance reasonably considering the span of the American indian assimilation. The limestone structure is illustrative of the late 19th century confinement and relief formalities for hostile tribal leaders and indian prisoners of war at the Fort Sill military camp.
Listing as National Register of Historic Places
Blockhouse on Signal Mountain was established as National Register of Historic Places with the National Park Service on November 29, 1978.