Freedmen Exhibit opening
November 9
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On Saturday, November 9, the Fort Gibson Historic Site will debut the Freedmen Exhibit.
The exhibit accompanies November’s focus on Freedmen’s history through living history programs at the site. Both the exhibit and programs cover a brief historical moment in the late 1800s when formerly enslaved people from across the territory traveled to Fort Gibson to be enrolled in the Dawes Rolls.
Captain McKennon set up an office in one of the officers’ quarters to fulfill his commission of enrolling people once enslaved in Indian Territory. While waiting, a small community gathered, and soon-to-be-enrolled Freedmen visited with long-lost friends, sold goods they brought with them, and held gatherings on the post’s grounds. Photographers took several images during the proceedings, recording the small historical moment through images. The Fort Gibson staff has curated the photographs into a Freedmen Exhibit. The exhibit will open on November 9 and remain open through the end of February.
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Fort Gibson, Indian Territory (15814.A, Aylesworth Album Collection, OHS).
