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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.

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

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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. 

Fort Smith Museum of History and Historic Tolley

This historic tour will take you to well known and historic sites in two neighboring cities along the Arkansas River. Be sure to select driving directions so your map will guide you along highways that are not open to pedestrians.

Historic Tour of Downtown Van Buren, Arkansas and Downtown Fort Smith, Arkansas

This short walking tour includes several historic buildings and museums in downtown Fort Smith along the Arkansas River. The walking tour concludes at the Fort Smith National Cemetery.

Walking Tour of Fort Smith Arkansas 

While the 1969 novel "True Grit" by Charles Portis is a work of fiction, Portis's Western is deeply researched and reflects realities of life in Arkansas and Indian Territory (later Oklahoma) in the 1870s and 1880s. This tour seeks to bring the novel to life for visitors along the True Grit Trail.

History Along the True Grit Trail

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The statue of African American Bass Reeves stands tall looking towards Oklahoma, which used to be Indian Territory. This is often were U.S. Marshals, including Bass Reeves, would travel to from Fort Smith in search of criminals.            Bass Reeves was born as a slave in 1838 in Crawford County, Arkansas.<a href="#_ftn1" target="_blank">[1]</a> Reeves master, William Reeves, moved the family and slaves to Texas in 1846.<a href="#_ftn2" target="_blank">[2]</a> Bass Reeves soon became George Reeves servant. This lead to George taking Bass with him when the Civil War started.<a href="#_ftn3" target="_blank">[3]</a> Somehow during the war, Bass escaped from George and fled to Indian Territory as a free slave.<a href="#_ftn4" target="_blank">[4]</a> After the war was over, he returned to Van Buren, Arkansas.           Following Judge Isaac C. Parker’s appointment as judge of the Federal Western District Court in May of 1875, Bass Reeves was recruited as a U.S. Deputy Marshal by U.S. Marshal James F. Fagan.<a href="#_ftn5" target="_blank">[5]</a> Despite being illiterate, Reeves brought in more outlaws form eastern Indian Territory and western Arkansas than anyone else.<a href="#_ftn6" target="_blank">[6]</a> <a href="#_ftnref1" target="_blank">[1]</a> “Bass Reeves – Black Hero Marshal, Legends of America, <a href="https://www.legendsofamerica.com/we-bassreeves/" target="_blank">https://www.legendsofamerica.com/we-bassreeves/</a> (accessed December 13, 2019).<a href="#_ftnref2" target="_blank">[2]</a> Ibid.<a href="#_ftnref3" target="_blank">[3]</a> Ibid.<a href="#_ftnref4" target="_blank">[4]</a> Ibid.<a href="#_ftnref5" target="_blank">[5]</a> Ibid.<a href="#_ftnref6" target="_blank">[6]</a> “Bass Reeves Monument,” Fort Smit, Arkansas, <a href="https://www.fortsmith.org/bass-reeves-monument/" target="_blank">https://www.fortsmith.org/bass-reeves-monument/</a> (accessed December 13, 2019).

This statue is of a local African American named Bass Reeves. He was the first African America west of the Mississippi River to become a U.S. Marshal.  He served under the jurisdiction of Judge Isaac C. Parker.  This 25-foot statue depicts Reeves on horseback, with a rifle in his hand, and a dog at his side, as they head into what used to be Indian Territory. 

Bass Reeves Statue

The four story Judge Isaac C. Parker Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse was constructed in 1936 and planned by architect Louis A. Simon. The courthouse was the primary location from where United States law was enforced in the Arkansas territory. 	At the time this court house enforced law in the frontier of the American government at times punishing criminals that resided within the Indian territory.	Judge Isaac Parker, The Hanging Judge, was the most famous arbiter of law that presided in this courthouse. Although Isaac Parker was born in Ohio on October 15, 1838 he soon moved to Missouri to pursue a career in law. 	Judge Isaac Parker presided over 13.490 cases over 74,000 square miles, 9,454 of such cases resulted in conviction and 160 people in those cases were sentenced to death. This record gave Isaac Parker his nickname. The Hanging Judge.

The federal courthouse is not a tourist attraction and is still in operation. This was the courthouse where famous Judge Isaac Parker practiced law. Isaac Parker is famous for bringing law to the furthest extents of American territory(at that time) and notorious for his use of hanging as a punishment. Hence his moniker 'The Hanging Judge.'

Judge Isaac Parker's Courthouse

The Fort Smith National Historic Site shares 80 years of Fort Smith history with visitors from across the country and around the world. When guest enter the visitor center, they are greeted by National Park Rangers who give them an overview of what they can see inside the building and outside. 	Inside the main building, visitors typically begin by watching a short film that provides the 80 year history in about 15 minutes. After the film, visitors can make their way down the hall to see the first jail, nicknamed the “Hell on the Boarder” jail. Visitors can then continue upstairs where they can see a recreation of the second jail that was built. In this area, there are also exhibits on Deputy Marshals. Continuing on through the latter portion of the museum, visitors can see exhibits on military and the Trail of Tears before entering Judge Parker’s courtroom. This exhibit is what most people come to see. When visitors finish inside they can explore the grounds where they can see a recreation of the gallows, the Commissary which is the oldest building in Fort Smith, and they can travel out to see the foundations of the First Fort Smith.	For those wanting to come to the museum they are open from 9 am to 5 pm every day except New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.<a href="#_ftn1" target="_blank">[1]</a> To go through the museum it will cost $10 for those sixteen and older and those under sixteen are free.<a href="#_ftn2" target="_blank">[2]</a> This price will cover seven consecutive days of reentry.<a href="#_ftn3" target="_blank">[3]</a> The museum also accepts any America the Beautiful National Park Passes.<a href="#_ftn4" target="_blank">[4]</a> This is a great museum for all ages. <a href="#_ftnref1" target="_blank">[1]</a> “Operating Hours &amp; Seasons,” National Park Service, <a href="https://www.nps.gov/fosm/planyourvisit/hours.htm" target="_blank">https://www.nps.gov/fosm/planyourvisit/hours.htm</a> (accessed December 13, 2019).<a href="#_ftnref2" target="_blank">[2]</a> “Fees &amp; Passes,” National Park Service, <a href="https://www.nps.gov/fosm/planyourvisit/fees.htm" target="_blank">https://www.nps.gov/fosm/planyourvisit/fees.htm</a> (accessed December 13, 2019).<a href="#_ftnref3" target="_blank">[3]</a> Ibid.<a href="#_ftnref4" target="_blank">[4]</a> Ibid.

The Fort Smith National Historic Site covers around 80 years of Fort Smith, Arkansas history from 1817 to 1896.  This site primarily focuses on the years in which Judge Isaac C. Parker served the Federal Court of the Western District of Arkansas, 1875-1896.  This site includes an indoor museum, several outdoor exhibits, and a walking trail that leads visitors to the foundations of the First Fort Smith. This National Park Site is a great place to take friends and family to learn more about the history of the town.

Fort Smith National Historic Site

Dating back to 1985 with the creation of a car barn that could hold recently-renovated historic trolley cars, the Fort Smith Streetcar Restoration Association has operated this museum and also offered trolley tours in the city. The museum now includes several cars, including four of the original Fort Smith trolley cars. The museum also includes several railcars, cabooses, and a Frisco steam engine. The museum is best known for its operation of a daily trolley that offers practical transportation for residents and visitors to Fort Smith. 

Fort Smith Trolley Museum

<div>To Eastern Americans,&nbsp;particularly&nbsp;those in the west, Native Americans were foreign, and&nbsp;therefore&nbsp;something to be feared and resented in their eyes. For a long&nbsp;time,&nbsp;the land that they had inhabited for years&nbsp;was seen as&nbsp;desirable, but the claimed “Indian&nbsp;Problem” was&nbsp;debated in how to best deal with the&nbsp;Native&nbsp;Americans. Some, such as&nbsp;George&nbsp;Washington, said that the best method was to “civilize them,” or rather, to make the Native Americans behave in manners that were&nbsp;like&nbsp;European&nbsp;customs. This meant converting them to Christianity, teaching them English, and practicing&nbsp;European&nbsp;economics. Some members of the&nbsp;Choctaw, Chickasaw, Seminole, Creek and Cherokee tribes would conform to this, becoming known as “The&nbsp;Five&nbsp;Civilized&nbsp;Tribes.”&nbsp;</div><div>Regardless of how “civilized” these people were in some eyes, there were others that still despised them and desired&nbsp;Native&nbsp;American property for its value. Native American livestock would be stolen, houses burned to the ground, and mass murders would ensue throughout&nbsp;Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, North Carolina and Florida. Eventually state&nbsp;governments&nbsp;would come to aid in Native American removal by passing laws stripping them of their rights and&nbsp;liberties, and although these were fought against, such treatments would endure. President Andrew Jackson, who had long been a fan of removing&nbsp;Native&nbsp;Americans would eventually sign the Indian Removal Act in 1830, and in 1831, against the laws stating that the Native Americans needed to agree to the terms peacefully, he would send his government to threaten them to leave. The&nbsp;Choctaw&nbsp;were the first to be forced away, a journey entirely on foot with no food, supplies, or help from the government, and thousands would die. Next would be the Creeks in 1836, where 3,500 of the 15,000 who left for the journey would not survive.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div>The&nbsp;Cherokee&nbsp;were divided on the best method to resolve the issue. Some felt that they should remain and fight, while others believed that they could come up with a deal that would prove to be favorable to them. In 1835, some&nbsp;self-appointed&nbsp;representatives of the tribe made a treaty with Congress to leave in exchange&nbsp;for&nbsp;five&nbsp;million dollars, relocation assistance, and compensation for lost property. Congress agreed, however,&nbsp;many&nbsp;Cherokee felt that this was an act that did not properly represent their people, and nearly 16,000 would sign a petition saying this. Congress would ignore this plea, however, and&nbsp;President Martin Van Buren&nbsp;would send General Winfield Scott&nbsp;and 7,000 soldiers to remove the Cherokee people. Cherokee houses were pillaged by the soldiers, and then the Cherokee would be&nbsp;marched over 1,200 miles&nbsp;by&nbsp;bayonet&nbsp;across the Mississippi River.&nbsp;Whooping cough, typhus, dysentery, cholera and starvation were all major concerns to the Cherokee who received no aid and had no supplies, and 5,000 would die as a result.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div>Tens of thousands of&nbsp;Native&nbsp;Americans would be removed from their homeland by the 1840’s with thousands more dying along the way. What little territory they were given continued to decrease and decrease, and with the creation of&nbsp;Oklahoma&nbsp;as a state in 1907, all Native American territory would be removed despite the federal government’s promise to leave their land alone. The Trail of Tears marker within the last camp for the Cherokee would be created&nbsp;in&nbsp;1936&nbsp;by The Noon Civics Club as a constant reminder of the journey that so many were forced to make.&nbsp;</div>

In the early 1830’s in Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, North Carolina and Florida, over 100,000 Native Americans lived on land that had been owned by them for generations. By the end of the decade, however, few Native Americans lived in Southeastern U.S. Due to the valuable land that they lived on, European Americans desired such territory for the cotton that it could grow. Eventually the Federal Government would step in, forcing the Native Americans to leave into their now designated “Indian Territory.” The long and deadly journey along the Mississippi River would come to be known as the Trail of Tears, and in 1936 a monument would be created at one of the last resting camps of the traveling men and women along the trail. 

Trail of Tears Monument

The Fort Smith National Cemetery dates back to the first burials at this location in 1819, just a few years after Fort Smith was founded. It is believed that Fort Smith surgeon Thomas Russell was the first person interned here. Numerous Confederate soldiers and two generals were buried here during the Civil War years, including 475 unknown soldiers. President Grant ordered in 1871 that cemetery be revitalized by the War Department and remain operational for future military burials. A majority of the cemetery uses the headstones provided by the government, but there are also many civilians buried here including Joel Stubblefield, an educator and administrator who helped build the local college into a four-year institution. The infamous Judge Parker, known as "the hanging judge" is also buried here. The cemetery was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 29, 1999.

Fort Smith National Cemetery is located at the site of a local cemetery that was originally created in the early 1800s. Over 13,000 soldiers and some notable civilians have been buried at Fort Smith National Cemetery. There are multiple Civil War generals and over 1000 unidentified soldiers buried in the cemetery which continues to accept new internments. \

Fort Smith National Cemetery

Apollo 14 first launched into space on the afternoon of January 24, 1971. Stuart Roosa was one of the members chosen to go into space on this mission. Stuart Roosa being an outdoor enthusiast and adventurer his whole life began working for the United States Forrest Service. Stuart Roosa served as what the Forest Service would call a smoke jumper. Smoke jumpers specialize in dropping into heavily fogged or smoked areas for rescue when visibility is extremely poor. Little did Stuart Roosa know, but his time and experience from working in and with the Forest Service would provide him the opportunity to be apart of a greater mission than just traveling to space. Prior to launch, Roosa was contacted by the U.S. Forrest Service and was asked to help with an experiment that could one day prove to be great information to have. The United States Forest Service was eager to see the results of an experiment like this and thought it would be crucial information leading into the future. Ed Cliff, Chief of the Forest Service knew of Stuart Roosa from his days as a smoke jumper for the Forest Service and was eager to ask him for his help and thoughts on the experiment. The experiment was going to test a seed’s ability to grow and function normally after an extended period of time in a “weightless” environment. Scientist from both the Forest Service and NASA agreed this would be valuable knowledge to have and got behind the experiment. It is a well known fact that eventually our earth will die, so scientists are planning for a future that may not be on this planet. Many scientists thought that once the seeds were exposed to an extended period of time in weightlessness that they would no longer be capable of germination and growing. Had they not been able to grow, scientists would have another problem to solve on their hands with figuring out how we could one day be able to grow crops and provide food for people. Stuart Roosa took pride in getting to be apart of this mission and experiment that lead to the birth of hundreds of Moon Trees around the world. Aboard Apollo 14 were hundreds of seeds that varied in type. Loblolly Pine, Sweetgum, Redwood, Sycamore, and Douglas Fig trees were among the different types of seeds brought. Once returned to Earth, the Forrest Service was skeptical about whether or not the seeds would be able to germinate and grow, but to their surprise hundreds of seeds successfully grew and were scatter out around the globe to be planted and cared for by people or organizations that would appreciate the significance of such a thing. Most of the Moon Trees were spread out throughout the United States in places like Alabama, Virginia, Washington, Utah, Arizona, and several other states. This Loblolly Pine tree was planted in Fort Smith, Arkansas in celebration of Arbor Day on March 15, 1976. Arbor Day Foundation is a company that recognizes the important role that trees play in our world. Arbor Day Foundation is launching a new initiative that is called, "the Time for Trees Initiative," which fights to preserve, protect, and build new forests that home thousands of trees. I think that the Moon Trees planted around the world symbolizes what trees do for us and our quality of life. They are providing a beautiful example of life that does things like clean our air, purify our water, and create healthy communities. The fact that a Moon Tree finds it home in my home state of Arkansas is something that I think is very cool.

This Pinustaeda tree, more commonly known as the Loblolly Pine, was planted in Fort Smith Arkansas on March 15, 1976. This tree is known as a moon tree because there is something very special about it. When it was just a seed, it hopped aboard Apollo 14 and journeyed to the moon and back in 1971. It was planted in Fort Smith on Arbor Day. The fact that this tree has traveled to space and back certainly separates itself from others. 

Fort Smith Moon Tree

Arkansas seceded following the Confederate firing upon Fort Sumter and Abraham Lincoln's call for troops in April 1861. That same month, Fort Smith was evacuated by the United States army and occupied by the Confederacy. During the Civil War, Fort Smith and Sebastian County provided many recruits to the Confederate army, although a number of local citizens enlisted in the Union army as well. In August of 1863, following Confederate defeat at the Battle of Honey Springs in nearby Indian Territory, Union forces occupied the town. They fortified and controlled the town until war's end, although Confederate forces tested its defenses several times. In 1867 following the war, the government designed the post's cemetery as Fort Smith National Cemetery, in which nearly 500 Confederate casualties are buried. The first efforts to commemorate the Confederate dead arose in the 1870s, when a small sandstone monument was erected in the cemetery honoring dead Confederate Generals Alexander E. Steen and James McIntosh. It was destroyed by a tornado, however, in January 1898. A temporary marker to "The Unknown Confederate Dead" was erected, but a local chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy was formed, in part from a desire to "to fulfill the sacred charity toward monuments to our dead."[2] Through various civic events and the help of the United Confederate Veterans, the UDC raised over $2,300 for the monument. The marble monument depicts a Confederate soldier standing vigil atop a granite shaft. The monument is inscribed: "Lest We Forget1861-1865Our Confederate DeadErected by the Varina Jefferson Davis Chapter,Daughters of ConfederacyFort Smith, Ark. 1903"[2] The monument was intended to go into the National Cemetery as its predecessors, but in 1902, the Quartermaster General of the United States Army and Secretary of War Elihu Root denied the UDC permission to place the monument on cemetery grounds. As the monument featured a Confederate soldier, Confederate flags, and the phrase "Lest We Forget," the government "suggested modifications."[2] The Federal government's rejection of these Lost Cause symbols infuriated the local press. The city of Fort Smith stepped in and allowed the UDC to place the monument on Sebastian County Courthouse grounds. The monument was dedicated on September 10, 1903. The mayor asked local business to close for the ceremony, and citizens and veterans alike poured into the town. The Fort Smith Times noted, "octogenarians lost the shuffle of age and stepped briskly along the streets with minds quickened and the spirit of '61 dominant."[1] The mayor asked lo Among the speakers was Senator James H. Berry, himself a Confederate veteran and active member of the United Confederate Veterans. Berry blasted the government's refusal to allow the monument into the National Cemetery, stating "it is our cause, it is our monument, and they are our dead, and we will never permit any man who is not in sympathy with the cause to say what shall be engraved upon it, or write the dedication or epitaph of our dead soldiers.”[1] In 2020, amidst a nationwide reckoning with systemic racism and Confederate monuments, local resident Danielle Hoopes began a petition calling for the monument's removal from courthouse grounds. The petition declared, "As citizens of Fort Smith, Arkansas, and the U.S., that want to see our cities grow and prosper, we should be open and welcoming to all people. This statue is a clear and present ode to the values of the Confederacy that we do not share."[3] The local UDC opposes the monuments removal. As their lawyer Joey McCutchen claimed, "Many Confederate monuments were to remember the dead. The Confederate monument on the Sebastian County Courthouse is just that -- a reminder that too many people died. Learn from the past and do not repeat it."[6] The county is apparently weighing options and reaching out to various parties, but has not yet taken any action regarding the monument. Fort Smith Mayor George McGill praised the discussion: "We are watching democracy at work, citizens are finding meaningful and effective ways to participate in the decision-making processes and the actions that affect them in their city."[6]

During the Civil War, Fort Smith and Sebastian County primarily supported the Confederacy, and the town was occupied by both United States and Confederates forces. Many Confederate dead were buried in the post's cemetery, which was designated as Fort Smith National Cemetery in 1867. In the 1870s, a small monument was erected in the cemetery to several Confederate generals, but it was destroyed by a tornado in 1898. A local chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy formed shortly after and raised over $2,300 to erect a large replacement monument honoring Confederate dead. The United States government refused to allow the Confederate monument on cemetery grounds, so the city allowed the monument to be erected on courthouse grounds. It was dedicated on September 10, 1903 to much fanfare. In the summer of 2020, a local petition circulated calling for the monuments removal, but the city has yet to take any course of action regarding the monument.

Fort Smith Confederate Monument

This statue of General William O. Darby depicts the Fort Smith native on a Harley-Davidson MLA motorcycle which was designed for military use. Darby was the first commander of the U.S. Army Rangers. After graduating high school in 1929, Darby went on to attend the Unites States Military Academy at West Point where he graduated in 1933. Darby was first assigned to Fort Bliss, Texas, but following Pearl Harbor, he was tasked to train the U.S. Army Rangers. This group was initiated on July 9, 1942 and fought in North Africa and in Europe. Darby was killed in action in Italy on April 30, 1945, just days before the end of World War II. While preparing aircraft for a mission, a German shell exploded nearby and Darby was hit by shrapnel. Darby was buried in Cisterna, Italy, but was later re-interned at the Fort Smith National Cemetery in 1949.

Dedicated in 2016, this statue honors Fort Smith local General William O. Darby, the first commander of the U.S. Army Rangers. The unit became known as Darby’s Rangers, and several area schools and a military installation are named in honor of the unit's leader. Darby was even the subject of a popular 1958 Hollywood production, Darby's Rangers. Darby led the first Americans who engaged the German army in combat in North Africa as part of Operation Torch. This statue was dedicated 71 years to the day when Darby was killed by a German artillery shell in Italy. 

Walking Tour of Fort Smith Arkansas

Fort Smith Museum of History and Historic Tolley

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information