Fishertown was started by William Fisher, a half-breed Creek who was born in Alabama and came to the Creek nation, Indian Territory, when he was a boy in 1847 and finished his education in the Shawnee Mission, Kansas. Leaving the Shawnee Mission in 1849 William Fisher returned to the Creek Nation and engaged in farming. In 1850 he was married to Sarah P. Lampkin, white and a native of Tennessee. In 1855 he established a small store at his place and that was the beginning of Fishertown. At the time of the outbreak of the Civil War he had established a good business and had a large stock of goods, but was obliged to desert his home and business on account of the conditions brought on by the war and lost everything. He joined the Confederate army, under Colonel McIntosh and continued in the service until the close of the War, holding the positions of sergeant and first lieutenant through the campaign. [Indian Pioneer History Project for Oklahoma, Date: July 1, 1937, Name: Bose Scott]
Afternoon we passed a village Fishertown in the Creek Nation. Crossed North Fork of Canadian River at four o'clock on a flat boat, full-blood Indian ferryman. Couldn't talke English at all. One mile farther on we came to a store kept by an old Negro, called Nero's store. He owns the ferry, store and blacksmith shop. We laid in our supplies of potatoes and corn to do us several days. Just a few hundred yards above Nero's store is the little town of Northfork Town,5 several stores and a postoffice. [Chronicles of Oklahoma, Volume 17, No. 3, September, 1939, DIARY OF JOSEPH A. EDMONDS, Edited by
James W. Moffitt]
HDQRS. INDIAN BRIGADE,
Fort Gibson, C. N., May 16, 1864.
Capt. MAXWELL PHILLIPS,
Cmdg. Detachment:
CAPT.: The enemy under Cooper have moved into Fishertown, a few
miles this side of North Fork Town.
Col. Adair, with 40 men, got back to Hillabee five days ago, his
horses run down, reporting 40 killed and all the rest deserted. It is
possible that some of his command are above. He led 300 or 400 men.
Move rapidly this way and keep a good lookout. We have not heard
from you for eight days. I send these messengers to put you on your
guard and to see if there are any bands below you or between you and
me. The Arkansas River is deep, past fording. Two boats have been up.
Send me word where you are. I want the command back.
By order of Col. William A. Phillips, commanding:
WM. GALLAHER,
First Lieut. and Acting Assistant Adjutant-Gen.
[Official Records, Series I. Vol. 34. Part III, PAGE 629]
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HDQRS. DISTRICT OF INDIAN TERRITORY,
Fort Towson, C. N., September 30, 1864.
...
On the 23d they had crossed and got twenty miles south of Arkansas
River and sixty miles west of Fort Gibson, from which point they could
reach Gen. Cooper's camp at Fishertown in one or two days.
Fishertown is four or five miles north of North Fork Town, on the Fort
Gibson road.
[Official Records, Series I. Vol. 41. Part I, PAGE 778, Maxey to Boggs Sept 30, 1864]
***