Fort Sill Museum

The primary mission of the museum is to function as a permanent historical and educational institution at Fort Sill, providing training and education for military and civilian personnel and for the general public on all aspects of the history of Fort Sill. The accuracy of the training and education programs is dependent upon the acquisition, registration, preservation, research and interpretation of artifacts, photographs and other historical documentation. The US Army Field Artillery & Fort Sill Museum was established by direction of the Chief of Field Artillery on December 10, 1934 and formally opened in January 1935. The dual mission of preserving the history of both the Field Artillery and of Fort Sill was identified from the beginning. Captain Harry C. Larter, a Field Artilleryman, military artist, and historian was the first curator. Larter made use of an old artillery teaching collection of military items which had been brought together at Fort Sill in 1919 and stored in a warehouse for a number of years. Captain Wilbur S. Nye was given the task of compiling and writing the history of Fort Sill as a joint action. The old guardhouse was selected as the building to house this material for interpreting the history to the public and it served as the main museum building for many years.