Lawton Oklahoma
Fort Sill
A spectral resident inspired workman to do double-time.
Many spirits who love this place are still serving here.
Some are possessive, some like to tease, some do the activities that they loved.
Others try to get their story out.
DESCRIPTION
Fort Sill Army Base, originally built in 1869, has been continuously used and expanded throughout the years to include a whopping 94,000 acres. It is on the National Register of Historic Places. Today, it is the main U.S. Army Field Artillery base. It has on its grounds and buildings the following Artillery training programs: United States Army Field Artillery School * United States Army Air Defense Artillery School * 75th Field Artillery Brigade * 31st Air Defense Artillery Brigade.
Fort Sill is like a self-contained small city, that offers everything that people need to live here; including public schools, theaters, Army stores, Gyms, etc.. Fort Sill has historic buildings and other structures that were built throughout its 150 years of existence. Historic buildings include: Old Officer houses in the Quadrangle * Military Barracks* Hospital building. 53,000 people living here; 20,000 military and civilian personnel, and 33,000 military family members.
Interestingly, three major Indian chiefs are buried on Fort Sill. Geronimo is buried in the Apache Cemetery on East Range, Kiowa Chief Satanta, and Comanche Chief Quanah Parker.
There is a Fort Sill National Historic Landmark and Museum – http://sill-www.army.mil/museum/FSNHLM/visitus.html
“Fort Sill National Historic Landmark and Museum occupies 38 buildings, with a total of 144,514 square feet of exhibit and storage space, a total collection of over 235,000 objects, and covering 142 acres in the Historic Landmark area..”
Admission is free to the public: Open Tuesday-Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. except on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years holidays. However, some planning is needed to take the time for security measures. Quoting from their website: “All persons over the age of 16 must fill out FS Form 118a and pass a background check at the Fort Sill Visitor Control Center before entering Fort Sill.”
As of 2008, there is also a US Army Field Artillery Museum established, so that the Fort Sill National Historic Landmark and Museum could concentrate on portraying exhibits of its long and fascinating history; including the people that lived around it; native American tribes.
HISTORY
In January of 1869, some members of the Indian tribes: Apache, Kiowa, and Comanche who were supposed to stay on Government reservations, were being a handful; having too much fun attacking boarder settlements along the Texas boarder and in Kansas. Col. Maj. Gen. Philip H. Sheridan was given the assignment to build aa Army Calvary Post in Oklahoma and lead a winter campaign to deal with the hostile, uncooperative Indians who had bad attitudes from the Government’s perspective. This was one of many Frontier Army Forts built to offer protection and bring law and order to the region; deal with the bad ones who were killing settlers.
After picking the location for the fort, six Calvary regiments made up of 7th Cavalry, the 19th Kansas Volunteers and the 10th Cavalry, a distinguished group of black “buffalo soldiers”. They set up tents and stayed there while the fort was being built. They called the camp, Camp Wichita.
The Buffalo Soldier regiment did the job that the Army Corp of Engineers does today. The Buffalo soldiers had the important job of constructing many of the stone buildings that were built around the Post Quadrangle. When finished, the friendly Indians called the new fort, ”The Solider House at Medicine Bluffs.”
By 1870, the “Quadrangle” had the homes for officers and their families. Barracks were also completed for all the regiments. This new fort was named after Col. Maj. General Philip H Sheridan’s West Point classmate friend: a brave, much respected and beloved by all, Civil War Officer, Brigadier General Joshua W. Sill, who died at the Battle of Stones River; just outside Murfreesboro, Tennessee, while leading his men
Assigned to Fort Sill as well was post commander Brevet Maj. Gen. Benjamin Grierson. The first Indian agent was Colonel Albert Gallatin Boone, grandson of Daniel Boone. Major Gen. Benjamin Grierson was a man before his time. He wasn’t popular among the other officers because of two of his beliefs that were backed up by his actions. Grierson loved and respected the Buffalo Soldiers he was in charge of and believed in their abilities. He also supported the peace plan that was worked out with the Indians on the Kiowa-Comanche Reservation.
During the massive winter campaign, frontier scouts such as Buffalo Bill Cody, Wild Bill Hickok, Ben Clark and Jack Stilwell went along to give the garrison eyes and ears to get an advantage over the uncooperative, feisty Indians. Of course, after many battles, the Indian threat was stopped with Indians either dying in battle, staying on their reservations or jailed for murder.
Throughout the years, this base grew as there was plenty of land to use for needed facilities for the US Army. It has long been a training base for all of America’s wars. It continues to provide vital training for Field Artillery as it has quite a few acres in which to do so.
HISTORY OF MANIFESTATIONS
Because Fort Sill has been a military base for well over a hundred years, it is bound to have some spirits still on duty, spirits who have unfinished business, and spirits who want to stay for a variety reasons. Many houses and buildings here have resident spirits.
Soldiers sometimes like to stay in the area where they died.
USS Livingston TX (Because of all the hot action this air craft carrier was in, many people died on board or in airplanes).
USS Iowa – CA (Spirits of servicemen killed in a 1980s’ accident, still are part of the team; helping out and saving clumsy tourists).
Fort Sill, OK (Service men and women who died in an Armed Forces Hospital, or other buildings that were taken over to serve as an Armed Forces hospital, sometimes like to hang around the building where they died, perhaps not ready to give up their service or goals for this world. They probably don’t want to admit that they died).
People with duties of responsibilities of the hospital while alive, may want to hold onto that responsibility.
The Stone House, Manassas VA (Someone who was in charge of the hospital set up here now feels that it is his duty to supervise the docents).
USS Hornet, CA (Spirits of medical staff still keep the living out of their operating room).
Fort Sill, OK (One spirit who is territorial lets his presence known in the old hospital building.)
Many families of servicemen and women have lived on the base during their years in the Army. Accidents, fatal wounds gotten in war, or illness could’ve taken their toll on lives. Or perhaps, it was a time of memories most enjoyed.
Fort Worden, WA (A Jail Guard accidentally killed himself when cleaning his gun).
Fort Leavenworth, KS (Soldiers died of their wounds, accidents killed others, and probably disease was a killer as well).
Fort Sill, OK (Fort Sill has been an active Army installation since its founding. People died here from the above causes listed).
As in any community, jealousy and personal relationship conflicts, love triangles and adultery escalated into bad outcomes and the production of negative energy that lingers; a lot of arguing, ended friendships. Sometimes it ends in murder.
Plains Hotel, WY (Betrayed bride killed her husband, the prostitute and herself).
MacArthur Military Museum-AR (One man died in a duel).
Fort Sill, OK (These same issues arose with people who lived here throughout the years to varying degrees. One issue ended a friendship).
People who have been murdered at the hands of another sometimes are restless and reenact their murder to show the living what happened to them, or hang around wanting justice or want their life that was taken from them; making the best of it as a spirit..
Lumber Baron Bed and Breakfast – CO (Two women were murdered by a fellow boarder).
Wabasha Caves – St Paul (Three gangsters playing cards were murdered by a hit man doing mob business).
Fort Sill, OK (One issue ended in murder of the woman, who was killed by one of the two men she was involved with; A husband, and her lover, or two boyfriends she was both seeing. Both are risky behaviors).
People who commit suicide find no peace on the other side, and sometimes reenact their deaths.
Baker Hotel, TX (A chick on the side through herself off the top of the hotel because her married lover wouldn’t leave his wife).
USS Hornet, CA (Because of a no break in the battle schedule, this USS ship had the highest suicide rate).
Fort Sill, OK (Some people on this base may have killed themselves especially if they suffered from PSD).
MANIFESTATIONS
Spirits of all ages who served on this base while alive still are enjoying themselves here, even in spirit-form.
General Activity:
Doors opening and closing with a mind of their own.
Unseen force throws objects across the room, or are pushed/pulled off shelves.
The sound of horses galloping past an open window have long been reported.
Former Residents
Shadow people and apparitions, ghost kitties, all who interact with the living, and reside in their former home.
Some are not particular happy having to share their space with the living, while others are; even turning on the lights when its dark.
Music that was enjoyed many years ago can be heard playing softly.
Fort’s Hot Spot
Old officer’s quarters, on the old Quadrangle is a paranormal hot spot:
Some workmen, who were making repairs to the old house, kept hearing running footsteps from an unseen presence, from an upstairs room.
When investigated, no seen presence was ever found.
A bit nervous and uneasy, the workmen made the repairs in record time, and left promptly, glad that the job was done.
Spirit of a little Girl
This spirit child stays in one of these houses.
She gets her chuckles teasing the living to let them know she is there.
Spirit of little girl #2
This spirit child is around 5 years old –
Likes to play with the living children’s toys, and enjoys being around a living family.
Signs and Spirits
The living hear a group of disembodied voices of women, gossiping. When the living go to investigate, the voices stop.
Take-charge Spirits: Some spirits who stay in these older homes take it upon themselves to help the living by rearranging the furniture.
A sign of the spectral lady of the house is the aroma of a pleasant floral perfume that wafts through the house.
A spirit of a see-through calvary officer with a long beard has been seen in his work attire walking down the stairs of one home, off to work.
A spirit of an old man dressed in buckskin with rifle in hand, makes himself at home.
Spirit of a little boy
This spirit had mixed feelings about sharing his house with a new family.
This spirit let the mom and her two little girls know that he was there; appearing to the girls.
This spirit would at first open and shut the bathroom door; once even slamming it in the mom’s face. The mom heard him laugh.
This spirit would move items in the girls’ room, and do harmless pranks at first. Then he became mean, pulling the chair out from underneath of the girl sitting on it; throwing the chair across the room.
With the younger daughter, he would sit and play nicely with her. Her mom could see her daughter talking and laughing with someone. Then this spirit would push her, one time into the wall.
Spectral Soldiers on the OPQ field.
Children have seen them and talked to them.
Suicide
A spectral body has been seen hanging in a tree,
This has long been a problem. On the Fort Sill’s front web-page, there is a hot line for those thinking of killing themselves, along with other important phone numbers.
Residual Energy
This scenario has been witnessed by people who lived in this same house.
When two officers found out that they were interested in the same woman and had both been writing to her, they began verbally fighting.
They took their argument to one of the soldiers’ homes, and sat down and verbally had it out. F
inally, in the heat of the argument, one stomped out and they never talked to each other again.
Both were later killed in the Indian wars.
Long after they died, this heated argument was still taking place in view of the living.
They never see the living, just argued in a residual loop.
Historic Army Barracks
Spirit of a murdered woman is thought to be involved in a love triangle with two soldiers.
Soldiers in the Calvary Barracks heard a woman screaming for help.. They ran outside and saw nothing. A few days later, they found her body in a shallow graves.
A few nights later, these soldiers heard a woman’s screams in the alley. When they again ran out, to see what was happening, they saw a see-through woman who melted into the air.
This happened for many years.
Old Army Calvary Hospital Building #463
It is located behind Taylor Hall.
A computer lab was set up in the basement of Building #463 that used to be the morgue for the Army Calvary Hospital. Uh Oh!
A night crew was assembled; a man and three women whose shift started at 4:00. They heard footsteps and disembodied voices on the floor above every night. Two of them decided to run up there the next time they heard anything. When they did so, the place was empty. They decided to not go out of the basement without a partner.
As time went on, the Spirt’s walking foot steps got closer and closer until they could feel a presence right on the other side of the door. Something didn’t want them there. What happened next was scary to the living.
“On three different occasions, between that December and March 1981 the military police were called to search the building for intruders. On one occasion, police dogs were let loose in the building. They found nothing. One night the four women were so disturbed by the weird activity, they ran outside. They were too afraid to go back in, so they locked up and went home. It was not long after that the women were placed on the day shift.”
PARANORMAL FINDINGS
For years, witnesses living/working on Fort Sill Base have had a boatload of experiences. “Author, Robert Hiatt, wrote a book, ‘The Ghosts of Fort Sill,’ in 1989. In it, he interviewed those who lived or worked on the Old Post Quadrangle at the time. Twenty ghost stories were shared with the author.” Unfortunately, the book is out of print as of 2019. People are still talking about their experiences.
Being a Army Base, folks are not allowed to go and investigate to get hard evidence.
STILL HAUNTED?
Most Probably So.
Most of the hauntings mentioned above are still witnessed by the living except the two soldiers having a heated argument over a woman. The residual energy apparently has run out so this scene is no longer witnessed. It was last seen in 1911, according to personnel.
LOCATION
Fort Sill
Lawton, OK 73501
The incidents that were reported by the base’s newspaper, in the 1970s, took place in a house located in the old officer’s quarters, on the old Quadrangle.
SOURCES INCLUDE
- Ghosts of Fort Sill, by Robert Hiatt, 1989.
- en.m.wikipedia.org
- army.mil/article/46278
- newsok.com
- army.mil
Our Haunted Paranormal Stories are Written by Julie Carr
