Flippers Ditch - Fort Sill - Oklahoma - Ancient Aqueducts on Waymarking.com

Long Description:
Text from the marker:

Flipper's Ditch

A Black Military Heritage Site Registered as an enclave of the Fort Sill National Historic Landmark.

This drainage system was engineered in 1878 by lieutenant Henry O Flipper first Black graduate of West Point, and was constructed under his supervison by the "Buffalo Soldiers" the 10th US Cavalary. It eliminated stagnant malarial ponds and swamps created during the rainy season and did much to improve the health of the post. Draining north into Medicine Bluff Creek. It continues to control flood waters and erosion in the area today.

Lt Flipper(1856-1940) Graduated from the United States Military Academy in the class of 1877. His first assignment was frontier duty at Fort Sill in 1878-79. He served with the 10th Calvary regiment in Indian campaigns from 1878 to 1882 including the campaign against the Apache Chief Victorio.

Upon termination of his military service in 1882, Flipper spent 37 years as a renowned civil and mining engineer on the frontiers of te southwest and Mexico. He became the first Black American to gain prominence in the engineering profession.

Comments: I enjoyed the history behind this Aqueduct, as much as the craftmanship it still shows. Hard to believe it was built over a hundred years ago.

Visit Instructions:
To log a waymark in this category visit it and share your thoughts about the visit. It would be nice to also see photos of the aqueduct. However, unlike the GCA9CE, it's not necessary to show the GPSr in a photo, each waymark can be visited by more than one person and anyone can visit as much waymarks as he/she can - it's a new era! Noone should log the same waymark more than once. ;-)

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log User Rating   11/21/2009 Geojeepsters visited it