Fort Wayne

Established in 1838 by Lt. Col. R.B. Mason of the 1st Dragoons, U.S. Army, at the request of Arkansas citizens who feared Cherokees being removed from the southeastern U.S., Fort Wayne was named in honor of Gen. "Mad" Anthony Wayne and was originally located in the northeast corner of present-day Watts on a hill overlooking the Illinois River. The site was considered poor because many soldiers died there, including Capt. John Stuart of the 7th Infantry. In 1839 the fort was abandoned and moved to Beatie's Prairie west of Maysville, Arkansas. That site was abandoned in 1842, and the troops moved north to establish Fort Scott, Kansas.

Watts, Oklahoma · United States