Fort Washita is located northwest of Durant. The fort was established in 1842 to protect the Chickasaw and Choctaw tribes from the Plains Indians. The fort anchored growing Native American communities and served as a post for the United States Indian Agency to the Chickasaw and Choctaw governments throughout the 1840s and 1850s. In 1865 the historic fort was abandoned and was later purchased by Chickasaw Charles Colbert. In 1962 the Colbert family deeded the property to the Oklahoma Historical Society and it has been designated as a National Historic Landmark.