Cane Hill, Arkansas - Spanish Fort

[Creek Man]

Those in western Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma might find this information interesting.

I have a copy of a Tulsa Tribune article dated between 1935-38. I will quote from part of the article.

Ruins of Prehistoric Fort Visited by Daniel Boone Still Stand Near Cane Hill - By Steele Kennedy

Cain Hill is in the west-central part of Washington county, near the Oklahoma line, about three miles south of U.S. highway 62 and on state road 45. This was one of the first settlements of white people in that section of the Ozarks and Cane Hill college, now extinct, was established there in 1834.

That famous hunter, Daniel Boone, accompanied by Governor Boggs of Missouri, visited the place in 1804 at which time they found it occupied by friendly Indians. The ruin of an old Spanish fort was standing west of the town on a plate of table land just below a spring. The fort was so old at that time a large tree was growing through its walls and the Indian chief told the honored visitors that his people did not know the age nor origin of the fort. When asked for some souvenirs or relics from the fort the chief declared, “All things here sacred. Great Spirit here. Listen, hear Great Spirit talk in trees”.

However Boggs and Boone were successful in obtaining some old Spanish coins from the earth near the fort and some square nails were taken from logs in the fort and were said to have borne the marks of Spanish design. The fort covered about half an acre of ground and was built of substantial timbers and native stone.

At the foot of the hill is a clear, cold spring gushing forth from beneath a large rock. The spring has been walled in by large stone pillars, which, it is claimed, were placed there by the Spaniards before the Indians had possession of the place. The spring branch flows into and forms a small lake stocked with fish, around which raised places in the earth marking the foundation of the old fort are still visible.

A rugged hill rising back of the spring and forming a natural protection, is strew with boulders larger than cotton bales, half buried in the earth. On the hill stand the giant trees which Boone and Boggs looked upon and which the Indians thought bore the message of the Great Spirit to them through the medium of the wind.

On the side of the hill near the spring stands the old McClelland home. (The rocks used in building the yard fence wall were once a part of the old fort wall.)

This should be enough information for starting your research. Cane Hill will also be of interest to those looking for civil war sites.

For more information on Cane Hill, check out articles in the Chronicles of Oklahoma.
Research, Research, Research!

[GrayCloud]

1+1=2

If the Spanish were there long enough to construct a fort, there had to be a reason.
They only had two reasons for staying that long in one place, Either Gold or Silver.

Regardless of which one, they did not get it all.
Sometimes they buried there treasure for a later retrieval.
Great prospect.

[ouachitacaveman]

Governor Boggs married a grand-daughter of
Daniel Boone. But ....
Boggs wasn't even born until 1796, so I kinda doubt
he and Boone found a fort when Boggs was 8 years old ...

[Blind.In.Texas]

Daniel Boone 70 years old in 1804
b. November 2, 1734 – d .September 26, 1820

Lilburn W. Boggs 8 years old in 1804
b. December 14, 1796 – b. March 14, 1860

Governorship
September 30, 1836 - November 16, 1840