The Setting
Southwest Oklahoma - Fort Washita
Historic Fort Washita, establish 1842. Once the Western most Fort on the frontier, its main purpose was peace keeping between the local native americans and the ones displaced from the trail of tears. That was until the start of the civil war. The originally Union controlled fort was quickly abandoned due to rumor of an impending seige. Within only days of the Union troops leaving, the fort came under Confederate command, and played a major role in the war until its end in 1865.
Many legends surround the fort. Of course you have the expected haunted barracks where the soldiers can still be heard on walking patrols. Phantom Drums beat in the distance. Ghostly horses and galloping on the hard ground are said to be heard. Also ther eis the story of Aunt Jane, the headless apparition.
Our journey began with a simple preliminary scouting of the location. We quickly realized that this would be one for the record books. Several stuctures have been restored, while many still remain in piles of ruins, but that only adds to the mystery.
The date had been set, and we were all scheduled to meet at the location. We decided to carpool as much as possible, so Andy rode with Laura and I, and we headed off to pick up Mary. Once at Mary's, we loaded up the remainder of the equipment and headed south. It would still be quite a drive, but the excitement was more than enough to keep us going.
We were beginning to run late however, and feared the worst - That we may miss meeting the docent, thus cancelling our scheduled investigation. As we rounded the corner, and pulled up to the drive to the fort, we quickly saw the gates were locked and closed. Our hearts dropped. As I looked toward the visitor center, I recongnized Ron and Becky's vehicle! We were in luck! They had just arrived shortly before us, and had gotten entrance into the fort.
As a bit of a surprise, the docent had left for the evening entirely. This means our team would be the only (living) people in the fort throughout the night. We were to return the keys to the morning docent when she arrived.
After a brief look around, we unpacked our gear, and setup base in the mess hall of the South barracks.
After unloading, we were all a bit hungry, so we headed to a local mexican resaraunt. After a seemingly forever wait, we ate like kings, and talk strayed from the nights events to various follies of the team over the years.
Completely stuffed and satisfied, we all head back to the fort to setup for the the night. Somehow our car had gotten ahead, and we pulled in first. Mary and Jerermy start walking down the drive toward the visitor center with Laura and I trailing behind. Before long there is a commotion up ahead, and Jeremy takes off running. I wasn't in on the conversation, so I turned quickly and asked what was going on. Mary holds up her hamd, and point a shaky finger in the direction Jeremy was running. As I looked that way, I see what appears to be a lower torso of a woman in a white dress. It is choppily moving across the driveway headed east. As Jeremy closes the distance between the phenomenon, it quickly dissapates into the treeline. Bummer. And of course it would be as soon as we got back from eating and before we had a chance to grab the cameras. Was this the apparition of Aunt Jane?
The rest of the night progressed most normally, except for the paranormal size of the tree spiders. They were everywhere! ugh.
At one point, Bootsteps were heard on the hardwood floors and stair of the barracks, Flames were seen near the ruins of the blackmith's shop, and strange scraping noises accompanied the women as they slept in the cabin.
The History
Please follow the link below to the hisotrical Societies pages for detailed history.
Fort Washita History
The Team
As an OPRA event, members will be listed by group affiliation.
Andy (Beacon Parastudies)
Ron & Becky (OKCGC-PRG)
Erik & Laura (OKCGC)
Mary & Jeremy (OKCGC)
The Equipment
DCR-TRV520 Sony Digital Nightshot camcorder
Sony Digital Nightshot camcorder
Sony Digital Nightshot camcorder
CCD-TRV37 Sony 8mm Nightshot camcorder
Sony Hi8 Nightshot camcorder
Sony Hi8 Nightshot camcorder
Digital audio recorders
Analog audio recorders
Hp318 Digital Still camera
Kodak DX3500 Digital Still camera
Olympus 410 Digital Still camera
Olympus 510 Digital Still camera
Trifield Natural EMF Meter
2 Gaussmaster EMF meters
6 EMF array meters
Data
Fort Washita Sweep
Native American Cemetery
0 EMF
Colbert Cemetery
0 EMF
Post (Union) Cemetery
0 EMF
New Hospital
0 EMF
Unknown graves
0 EMF
Surgeon's Quaters
2327 - 1.5 mg spike on electrosensor
2329 - Simultaneous spikes on 2 Gaussmasters
Officers Quarters
2335 - 5 mg spike on electrosensor
Commanding Officer Kitchen
0 EMF
Commanding Officer Quarters
0 EMF
Cooper Cabin
0014 - Shadow Movement noted, unusual sounds
0 EMF
Confederate Cemetery
0 EMF
Mess Hall South Barracks
30+ mg spike on Trifield
Bench moved within 30 seconds of spike
Bohanon Cabin
0 EMF
West Barracks
0 EMF
South Barracks
0206 - 30+ mg spike on electrosensor on north porch
Psychic Impressions
(Mary's)
Upon arrival at Ft. Washita it felt like any normal place until the sun went down. When the dark was around us it felt like a whole different place in time. She was vast and beautiful but we were far from being alone there. I could feel and almost see the men out on the parade grounds with the drummers up front with there white pants and black shinny shoes and tops with the gold braids across the front with there drums strapped across there chest. I could sense 3 drummers standing in front of the flag pole and men lined up in back of them. With a bugler to the left of them facing the drummers.
During the walk threw on arrival during daylight as we neared the old barracks that was now just a shell I felt as if there was a treasure buried at my feet and it was nobodies to clam. I felt a women standing near me and she wanted to keep everyone away from her ill gotten gains. Strange I could not put my finger on it because after dark I could feel her at times just with in a few feet of us watching and waiting for someone to try and steal her gold which she had well hidden in the earth.
I could feel the troops all around us as we were there at the barracks and thought I heard the walking around. I swore as Andy and I had stayed behind that when I turned around and looked behind us as I heard steps behind us I seen a pair of black boots 2 steps up standing behind Andy. I told his this and the stairs started to shake as we stood up. We entered the dinning hall and with in a matter of minutes the first table to the left of the door as we walked in shook hard 3 times rapping the floor with in a matter of a few sec. the tri-field went of 6-7 sec Andy's belt came unhooked and. Then she settled down. As I was left alone on the stairs while everyone did the walk threw of the upper barracks I felt watched very close and very uncomfortable all at once. I felt like someone was approaching me on my right side as if they were going to knock me off the step. I knew it was a large male and close by the third pillar behind me. I heard what sounded like a large boot hit the stone walk way as if to scare me it worked. I was ready to run. I seen Becky on the ground headed for the lower floors I got up and ran at the group almost but veered very far from the third pillar where Andy later got a reading on his emf of 30. The cemeteries I just felt sorrow and frustrations. I did not the closer we got to the confederate cemetery the more I was seeing the lady in white with a dark top. Always just out of site of a good look.
The cabin I didn't like the feel of it after dark it was almost as if we were not supposed to be in there. I could not put my finger on it. But as we returned to go to sleep the feeling was gone. I did not that after we laid down that there was a sound of metal being drug across the floor in the upper room where we were. It sounded like a knife but I can't be for sure. Then the beds shook on several occasions and about an hour after I went to sleep I woke up to see light on the stairs on the lower landing. The only thing that could have given off light was if someone had have light a candle. I heard soft taking and muffled sounds from below on several occasions and heard what sounded like foot step below and was woke up with what felt like someone trying to pull the blanket off my head. I heard the sound of a dress ruffling across the floor at the foot of the bed.
Cooper cabin wow that was a weird felling area it was like he was walking around in the cabin and between the two back doors I swore I seen him standing there in broad daylight when we first got there. The energy field around the cabin was one that drew you to it. I felt like someone was buried there, or very near. I would also like to make a note of the absence of animal life there. Maybe the spiders at them all and we were next.
Movies
Fort Washita Virtual Tour - Cable/DSL Version
Fort Washita Virtual Tour - DialUp Version
Fort Washita Investigation Video Part One - Cable/DSL Version
Fort Washita Investigation Video Part One - DialUp Version
Fort Washita Investigation Video Part Two - Cable/DSL Version
Fort Washita Investigation Video Part Two - Dialup Version
Fort Washita Investigation Video Part Three - Cable/DSL Version
Fort Washita Investigation Video Part Three - Dialup Version
Photos
South Barracks
Cooper Cabin
West Barracks
Bohanon Cabin
An EMF Anomaly
Inside the Barracks
