Fort Smith Museum of History and Historic Tolley

Introduction

Text-to-speech Audio

The Fort Smith Museum of History was established in 1910 and offers exhibits that interpret the history of Native Americans, early settlers of European descent, and the growth of the community in the 19th and 20th century. Highlights of the museum include the courtroom, collections of military memorabilia, exhibits related to agriculture and business, and a collection of radios and other items related to the history of technology. The historic trolley, which is part of the Fort Smith Trolley Museum, stops right outside the museum to provide rides for visitors between the two museums.

Images

The museum is located in the former Atkinson-Williams Warehouse

1908 American Fire Engine Company Steam Pumper

The former factory was constructed in 1906

A trolley connects visitors to the nearby trolley museum

Backstory and Context

Text-to-speech Audio

These two museums provide visitors with great experiences at viewing the history of Fort Smith in unique ways. The Museum of History has a few hands-on exhibits that allow guests to experience history. The Trolley Museum provides trolley rides, in which they will sometimes allow young kids to help drive.

The Fort Smith Museum of History is located in the 1906 Atkinson-Williams Warehouse and includes exhibits such as an old fashioned soda fountain, where visitors can purchase ice cream sodas, floats, sundaes , and other items within a recreated pharmacy from the early 20th century.

The Fort Smith Trolley Museum interprets the history of public transportation in the region which dates back to 1883 when the Fort Smith Railway Company started operations.

Sources

“Exhibitions.” Fort Smith Museum of History. https://www.fortsmithmuseum.org/exhibitions (accessed December 13, 2019).

“Visit the Trolley Museum.” Fort Smith Trolley Museum. https://www.fstm.org/index.php?page=visit (accessed December 13, 2019).

Image Sources(Click to expand)

Mattison Griffin

Additional Information

Museum website