Camp Nichols
United States historic place in Wheeless, Oklahoma. Added to the National Register in 1966, and a National Historic Landmark.
What it is
Camp Nichols, also known as Fort Nichols or Camp Nichols Ranch, was a short-lived historic fortification located in present-day Cimarron County, Oklahoma, about 3 miles (4.8 km) northwest of the community of Wheeless, Oklahoma. It was built by New Mexico and California volunteers under the command of Col. Kit Carson to protect travelers on the most dangerous part of the Cimarron Cut-off of the Santa Fe Trail from raids by the Kiowa and Comanche Indians. Established in May 1865 and abandoned in September 1865, it was the only human-made structure along the Cimarron Cut-off while it was an active route. It is believed to have been named for Captain Charles P. Nichols of the First California Cavalry.
Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The record
| Property type | Site |
| Address | 3 mi. NE of Wheeless on Ranch Rd., Wheeless vicinity, OK |
| County | Cimarron County |
| Listed | Oct 15, 1966 |
| Listed for | Transportation, Exploration and settlement |
| Level of significance | National |
| Also known as | Camp Nichols Ranch |
| Reference number | 66000628 |
| Type of place | fort |
| Designations | National Historic Landmark |
| Contributing resources | 1 site |
The nomination form, the document that argues why this place matters, is in the National Archives: Read the nomination ↗
Visiting
| Address | 3 mi. NE of Wheeless on Ranch Rd., Wheeless, OK |
| Coordinates | 36.7545° N, 102.9267° W · Directions ↗ |
| Nearest national park unit | Capulin Volcano National Monument · 58 miles · on Park Atlas |
Explore
Map
Nearby in Cimarron County
Oklahoma travel guides
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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
When was Camp Nichols listed on the National Register?
Oct 15, 1966. It is also a National Historic Landmark, the higher of the two designations.
Source: National Park Service
Where is Camp Nichols?
3 mi. NE of Wheeless on Ranch Rd., Wheeless vicinity, Cimarron County, Oklahoma. The nearest national park unit is Capulin Volcano National Monument, 58 miles away.
Where is the nomination form for Camp Nichols?
The National Archives holds the nomination form, the document that made the case for listing.
Source: National Archives
Sources
Location, type and contributing counts come from the National Park Service's National Register spatial data. Listing dates come from the National Register office's spreadsheet where it carries the listing. Construction date, architect, style, photograph and encyclopedia link come from Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons, matched on reference number 66000628. Nothing here is transcribed by hand. The nomination form and photographs ↗ at NPGallery are the original nomination as filed with the National Park Service, and the form is often the best description of the place. The description under "What it is" is the opening of the Wikipedia article, CC BY-SA.