Fort Coffee

History

The town of Fort Coffee traces its beginnings to 1832, when the Choctaw Indian tribe was removed from the southeastern United States and transported to land in the eastern part of Indian Territory (now in the state of Oklahoma). Most of the travel was by water, and the site of Fort Coffee became a port on the Arkansas River. In 1843, the Choctaw nation allowed the Methodist Episcopal church to establish the Fort Coffee Choctaw Boys Academy in the buildings. This school continued until the outbreak of the Civil War, when Confederate forces commanded by General Stand Watie occupied the site. The Union Army recaptured the fort in 1863. Most of the buildings were burned during this time. Several small houses were built using the foundation stones. The Choctaw were required to release their slaves by the Reconstruction Treaty of 1866. Many of the freed men remained in the Choctaw Nation lands. Many of these were legally adopted into the Choctaw Nation in 1885, thus qualifying for land allotments by the Dawes Commission. The local economy has largely been based on agriculture. Major crops included cotton, livestock and soybeans. There was a cotton gin in Fort Coffee to handle locally grown crops. The Fort Smith and Western Railway and the Kansas City, Pittsburg and Gulf Railroad (bought by the Kansas City Southern Railway in 1900) transported the products to outside markets. The town of Fort Coffee did not incorporate until 1998.

Geography

Fort Coffee is located northeast of Spiro. about 11 miles from the Arkansas border.

Largest nearby schools

• SPIRO ES
  Elementary · Spiro · 571 students · 17.8:1 ratio
• PANAMA ES
  Elementary · Panama · 428 students · 15.9:1 ratio
• POCOLA ES
  Elementary · Pocola · 385 students · 17.5:1 ratio
• SPIRO HS
  High · Spiro · 290 students · 16.1:1 ratio
• POCOLA HS
  High · Pocola · 207 students · 17.3:1 ratio
• SPIRO MS
  Middle · Spiro · 202 students · 13.5:1 ratio
• PANAMA HS
  High · Panama · 198 students · 14.1:1 ratio
• SINGLETON ES
  Elementary · Arkoma · 162 students · 20.3:1 ratio