In June 1874, the Comanches, Kiowas, and Southern Cheyennes went on the warpath, and the South Plains reverberated with the hoofbeats of Indian raiders. The resulting Red River Campaign, which lasted a year, was mainly a war of attrition with the military in relentless pursuit of the Indians. Without a chance to graze their livestock and faced with the disappearance of the great buffalo herds, the hostile tribes eventually surrendered. Quannah Parker and his Quohada Comanches were the last to abandon the struggle, and their arrival at Fort Sill's Quartermaster Corral in June 1875 marked the end of Plains Indian warfare on the Southern Plains.

In July 1901, 29,000 homesteaders registered for the land lottery at Fort Sill. On August 6, the town of Lawton sprang up and quickly grew to become the third largest city in Oklahoma.

The School of Fire for the Field Artillery. was founded at Fort Sill in 1911 and continues to operate today as the world renowned U.S. Army Field Artillery School. At various times Fort Sill has also served as home to the Infantry school of Musketry, the School for Aerial Observers, the Air Service Flying School, and the Army Aviation School. Today as the U.S. Army Field Artillery Center, Fort Sill remains the only active Army installation of all the forts on the South Plains built during the Indian wars. It serves as a nation historic landmark and home of the Field Artillery for the free world.

As Home of the Field Artillery, Fort Sill is not only at the forefront of tremendous technological advances, but it is also steeped in natural, living history. And, as the only active Army installation of all the forts on the South Plains built during the Indian wars, Fort Sill is also a National History Landmark.

Fort Sill’s 94,000 acres have provided some of the best military training in the world to generations of "redlegs." However, Fort Sill has its limitations…limitations imposed by the land…limitations which become more evident as our military equipment becomes larger and heavier and our tactics include more maneuver training. Some land is too rugged for maneuver, and many areas have either shallow or highly erodible soils. Vegetation recovers slowly following damage. Lands that can support tactical maneuver are limited.

Fort Sill depends on quality training lands. Good stewardship equates to good operational security. Excessive maneuver and training damage provides a signature that a unit leaves in the field, providing valuable information to enemy forces. Additionally, trash and supplies left in the field provides valuable clues to enemy forces such as the morale, tactics used, unit size, and type of unit that increases soldier vulnerability during conflicts. While this may not have a direct impact today, when units are deployed anywhere in the world for a conflict tomorrow, it is absolutely critical to train as you fight. Being aware of and practicing simple procedures like policing training areas and avoiding unnecessary maneuver damage is a component of sound stewardship.

Rehabilitation through rest offers an inexpensive means to repair Fort Sill's damaged training lands. Currently there are 10 training areas designated as 'Closed' for training exercises on Fort Sill. These training areas are not to be scheduled and are off limits to training activities. Other training areas contain limitations on the type of training that occurs, such as, foot traffic only or other limited type uses.