Road Trip El Reno: Fort Reno

Fort Reno began as a military camp, of mainly tents, in 1874. It existed to protect and pacify the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes at the Darlington Indian Agency.

Friday, January 20th 2012, 4:49 pm

By: News 9


Just a few miles outside El Reno sits its namesake, old Fort Reno.

It was named after Major General Jesse Lee Reno, who died in the Civil War in 1863.

It may be a little off the beaten path, but Darren Brown shows us, that's usually where you find history.

Fort Reno began as a military camp, of mainly tents, in 1874. It existed to protect and pacify the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes at the Darlington Indian Agency.

Once the territory became a state, Fort Reno's mission changed. From a military presence, to one of training. It became an Army Quartermaster Remount Station, where horses and mules were bred and trained for military use in later wars.

Fort Reno had been a busy place, but once it transitioned from a military outpost to a remount station it became the place to be.  Horse racing and polo events began to be held at Fort Reno.  It started to resemble a country club.

A country club that drew its share of celebrities. Frederic Remington spent time here, sketching Fort Reno life. It's also rumored that Will Rogers visited the fort from time to time. And...a certain female aviator.

Amelia Earhart was another famous person that dropped by in her prototype of helicopter

From guns, to horses, to a young museum, Oklahoma's Fort Reno has seen it all. Now, it's up to the old fort's guardians to see it through this last transition.

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