“Winter Traditions and Cheer” living history program
December 21, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
One event on December 13, 2024 at 10 a.m.
One event on December 19, 2024 at 10 a.m.
One event on December 20, 2024 at 10 a.m.
One event on December 21, 2024 at 10 a.m.
Event Navigation
The Fort Gibson Historic Site will celebrate winter traditions and cheer in a series of December living history programs. The programs will take place on December 12, 13, and 19–21 from 10 a.m. to noon and again from 1 to 4 p.m.
Soldiers separated from loved ones, stationed at Fort Gibson tended to livestock, continued training, and found small ways to celebrate the season, bringing cheer among their ranks. Winter on the frontier military post required that oxen, horses, and mules were fed, wintered, and cared for through the coldest months.
With 120 fireplaces at the fort, firewood was in constant need of supply to keep living quarters warm. Visitors can learn about the way enlisted men kept seasonal traditions alive, whether through hunting for the game for the holiday meal, sharing mail from home, or adding decorative cheer to their quarters.
For more information, check out the Fort Gibson Facebook event page.
Christmas Eve, Harper’s Weekly, January 3, 1863.
