Fort Supply period for the cemetery was from 1873 to 1895

The first burial site for Fort Supply was located north of the fort. After heavy rains washed many of the caskets out of the cemetery, it was relocated to the present area. No one knows the location of this burial site.

This site was chosen as the second cemetery for Fort Supply. While many soldiers and civilians were buried here, the soldiers were moved to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas when Lt. F. E. Lacy, Tenth Infantry, placed Fort Supply in the custody of the Department of the Interior February 26, 1895, after the post was abandoned. Some civilian graves are unmarked. Some headstones remain.

Squatters Period 1895 to 1908

After the Military moved it operations from Fort Supply to Fort Sill, civilians moved to the post and occupied the dwellings and grounds. Many of these individuals had participated in the 1893 Cherokee Strip Land Run. (Note: It was actually the Cherokee Outlet Land Run, the Strip is another piece of land not included in the Run.) The earliest burial for this period was 1904.

Western Oklahoma Hospital Period
1908 to 1982

The Fort Supply Cemetery became the burial place for many mentally ill patients when the property was acquired by the state of Oklahoma in 1908. In 1982, Dr. William Blythe, MD, former hospital Superintendent, was the last person buried in the cemetery. (Note: Since the above was written, Dr. Blythe's wife was buried next to her husband in 2001. They both died in Florida.)

To the west of the main cemetery, across a ravine, is another section of burials not shown on sign board above.

In 1908, the first patients arrived in Tangier by train from Norman. They were then transported to Ft Supply by wagons and buggies by local residents.

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Census Western State Hospital
1910 | 1920 | 1930 | 1940
Chenoweth/Stecher Funeral Home Info

NOTE: Not all patients at Western State Hospital were there because of mental illness. The hospital was also like a nursing home for people who had other problems. Some had an illness such as heart or kidney disease, tuberculosis, cancer or other terminal/long term conditions.

If you have family buried in the this cemetery, can take gate or tombstone photos, can provide driving directions to the cemetery, have obituaries (with newspapers or funeral home permission) or can write one, have individual portraits, can write a short bio or have a history of the cemetery and would like to add your information to this website, contact the area coordinator for more information. You can also check out our How to Submit page.

NOTICE: If you submit information to this website and change your e-mail address please notify the area coordinator with the county/cemetery and new e-mail address so we can keep our pages as up to date as possible.

Every effort has been made to transcribe this information accurately. These records MAY CONTAIN ERRORS. Any corrections and/or additions are greatly appreciated. As with any genealogy information, this is a source and should be considered as such. It is up to the researcher to verify the accuracy.

Northwest Center For Behavioral Health
1Mi E Hwy 270
Fort Supply, OK 73841
580-766-2311
Formerly called Western State Hospital