Fort Smith Arkansas National Historic Site

FORT SMITH AREA LINKS

Aspen Hotel & Suites
 
Comfort Inn 

Courtyard Marriott

GuestHouse Inn 

Hampton Inn 

Holiday Inn City Center

Fort Smith Regional Airport

Fort Smith Museum of History 
 
Fort Smith National Historic Site  
 
Fort Smith Trolley Museum

Janet Huckabee Arkansas River Valley Nature Center

Fort Smith Convention & Visitors Bureau

Fort Smith Convention Center

Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce

Arkansas Oklahoma Gas

Daugherty & Lowe, CPA

Oklahoma Gas & Electric

Old Fort Militia

FORT SMITH ATTRACTIONS

ARKANSAS AND MISSOURI RAILROAD EXCURSION - Sunday afternoons April - August. Fort Smith Frisco Depot, foot of Garrison Avenue Bridge in downtown Fort Smith. A three-hour journey through the Ozark Mountains.

BELLE GROVE HISTORIC DISTRICT - N. Fifth, Sixth, Seventh and Eighth from N. "C" to N. "H" Sts. Restored homes and buildings line the streets of this 22-block area, reflecting a variety of architectural styles of the past 130 years. The district is on the National Register of Historic Places.

CLASSIC CARRIAGE TOURS - 405 Garrison Ave., downtown; (479) 629-0436; www.classiccarriagetoursllc.com. View Fort Smith's historic attractions from a classic horse-drawn carriage. Thursday afternoon - Sunday night.

CLAYTON HOUSE - 514 N. Sixth St.; (479) 783-3000; http://www.fortsmith.org/attractions/clayton.asp. Built in 1882, this mansion was the home of Judge William H.H. Clayton, the U.S. District Attorney in Judge Parker's Court. Period furnishings and some Clayton family belongings.

DARBY HOUSE - 311 General Darby St.; (479) 782-3388; www.thedarbyfoundation.org. The boyhood home of General William O. Darby, leader of the Darby's Rangers in World War II; contains tributes to Darby and artifacts from Cisterna, Italy, Fort Smith's sister city.

FORT CHAFFEE - www.chaffeecrossing.com. Original basic training facility built in early 1940s. Currently used in training National Guard troops and as site available to military reunions. Site of Elvis' first G.I. haircut.

FORT SMITH AIR EXHIBITS - Fort Smith Regional Airport; (479) 785-1839; http://biz.mynewroads.com/fsairmuseum/. A wide variety of displays honoring the pioneer and military aviators from the area, and chronicling the history of airline service to Fort Smith. Self-guided tour.

FORT SMITH ART CENTER - 423 N. Sixth St.; (479) 784-2787. Built in 1882, this Victorian Second Empire home is now home to a permanent collection of exhibits and presents five new exhibits monthly. Gift shop. Open daily except Monday.

FORT SMITH CONVENTION CENTER - (479) 788-8932; www.fsark.com. State-of-the-art Center offers 140,000 square feet of space, 40,000 square feet of exhibition and banquet space, 5,400 square feet of meeting room space (up to eight break-out rooms), 23,000 square feet of support areas and a performing arts center.

FORT SMITH MUSEUM OF HISTORY - 320 Rogers; (479) 783-7841. www.fortsmithmuseum.com. An array of military and civilian artifacts. Permanent exhibits include 1817 to present Fort Smith history, a collection of memorabilia and papers of WWII hero General William O. Darby, working old-fashioned soda fountain and gift shop. Open Tues. - Sat. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. (summer 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.), Sun. 1 - 5 p.m. Admission charged.

FORT SMITH NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE - 301 Parker Ave.; (479) 783-3961. www.nps.gov/fosm. A unit of the National Park System, includes the remains of two frontier forts and the 19th-century Federal Court for the Western District of Arkansas. Exhibits interpret a significant phase of America's western expansion, including the Trail of Tears. Open daily 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. (closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day). Admission charged (age 16 and under free). Sites include:  

• BARRACKS/COURTHOUSE/JAIL - The army barracks was converted in 1872 into a courthouse with a basement jail nicknamed "Hell on the Border." A new jail wing was added in 1888 and the park has re-created a portion of the jail cells with exhibits on outlaws and deputy marshals. The courtroom used by Judge Isaac C. Parker has been restored to its 1880s appearance. Other exhibits include those on the military, Trail of Tears and conditions in Indian Territory.
• BELLE POINT - Site of the first Fort Smith (1817-1824), overlooking the confluence of the Arkansas and Poteau Rivers. Visitors can see the foundation remains of the fort and walk along the paved river trail. Trail of Tears Overlook has exhibits on the enforced Indian Removal.
• COMMISSARY STOREHOUSE - One of the only three structures remaining from the military period, the Commissary is the oldest building in Fort Smith. Food supplies were stored here and transported to troops stationed further west.
• GALLOWS - A reproduction of the 1886 gallows that existed in Indian Territory after the Civil War. In the 21 years that Judge Parker served as judge (1875 - 1896), he sentenced 160 people to the gallows. Of those, 79 were hanged.
• J.M. SPARKS HOME - The original interiors of this Romanesque-Victorian style home built in 1887 include hand-carved fireplaces and circular front windows. This building is listed on the National Register and now houses Taliano's, a popular Italian Restaurant.

FORT SMITH RIVER PARK - (479) 784-1006; www.fsark.com/parks/index.html. New complex fronting the Arkansas River features an amphitheater, events building and a pavilion with an open-air style market.

FORT SMITH TROLLEY MUSEUM - 100 S. Fourth St.; (479) 783-0205. www.fstm.org. Two restored Birney streetcars that operated in Fort Smith until 1935, plus rail and transportation memorabilia. May 1-Nov.1: Mon.-Fri. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun. 1-5 p.m.; Nov. 1-May 1: Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun. 1-5 p.m. Admission charged.

JANET HUCKABEE ARKANSAS RIVER VALLEY NATURE CENTER - (479) 452-3993. Opening summer 2006. Arkansas Game and Fish Commission nature center being built next to Wells Lake in Fort Smith will be packed with interactive exhibits, educational programs, natural beauty, a gift shop, multi-purpose room, wildlife viewing area, classroom and extensive trails.

KNOBLE BREWERY - 422 N. Third St.; (479)784-9111. A fieldstone structure built by German immigrant Joeseph E. Knoble in 1848, now restored and on the National Register of Historic Places. Unique arched ceiling. Now houses a popular restaurant, Doe's Eat Place. Open for Dinner Mon. - Sat.

MISS LAURA'S VISITOR CENTER - 2 N. "B" St.; 1-800-637-1477, (479) 783-8888. www.fortsmith.org. Miss Laura's, the first bordello listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is now the unique setting for the Fort Smith Visitor Center. Open Mon.-Sat. 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Sun. 1-4:30 p.m.

STREETCAR #224 - 100 S Fourth St.; (479) 783-0205. Streetcar #224 carries visitors on a ride that recalls transportation in Fort Smith from 1883 to 1933. Departing from the Fort Smith Museum of History May 1-Oct. 31: weekdays 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun. 1-5 p.m.; Nov. 1-Apr.30: Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun. 1-5 p.m.

THE PARK AT WEST END - 15 N. Second St., downtown. Opening early summer 2006. Ride on a vintage carousel or Ferris wheel. Dine in an antique rail car or enjoy concessions from a classic double decker bus. A fun "retro" amusement park. Hours vary according to season.

TROLLEY BUS - 2 N. "B" St.; (479) 783-8888. March - October. Tour historic district areas of the city. 30-minute interpreted ride beginning at Miss Laura's Visitor Center. Open Mon-Sat.

U.S. NATIONAL CEMETERY - 522 Garland & S. Sixth Sts.; (479) 783-5345. Interments date from the War of 1812 and include Judge Parker, many of his deputy marshals and General William O. Darby.

FORT SMITH FESTIVALS

MID-MARCH: St. Patrick's Day Celebration includes breakfast, parade and downtown Leprechaun Hunt and Pub Crawl.

MEMORIAL DAY: Tales of the Crypt is an historical and educational guided tour of Oak Cemetery at Fort Smith.

MEMORIAL DAY THROUGH FOLLOWING SATURDAY: Old Fort Days Rodeo has nightly performances at Kay Rodgers Park. One of the best stops on the rodeo circuit, the nation's top cowboys compete for more that $700,000 in prize money - World's Richest Futurity. Super derby, plus sweeps at Kay Rodgers Park.

LATE JUNE: Annual Ford Dealers Big Bass Bonanza. Clear Creek Park on the Arkansas River.

LATE JULY Annual Massard Prairie Civil War Battlefield. Reenactors. Park tours.

LATE AUGUST: Blues, Cars, and BBQ. Two-day event has been hailed as the "best little blues festival in America." Downtown, Harry Kelley Park.

THIRD FRIDAY AFTER LABOR DAY: Annual Arkansas-Oklahoma State Fair at Kay Rodgers Park has a long-standing history of bringing the top talent in county and western music.

LATE OCTOBER: Frontier Fest is an annual event of living history along the banks of the Arkansas River and throughout the Ozark Region. Great fun for the family and its FREE. 

HISTORY OF FORT SMITH, ARKANSAS

The history of Fort Smith is depicted through exhibits in the Fort Smith National Historic Site. Located in downtown Fort Smith, the National Historic Site embraces the remains of two frontier forts and the courthouse and jails of the Federal Court for the Western District of Arkansas. The historic building and park grounds underwent a major $7.5 million rehabilitation project in 2000.

An overlook and educational panels highlight the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail which passes through the site. The panels were written and designed with the assistance of the Cherokee, Choctaw, Muscogee (Creek), Chickasaw and Seminole tribes. The exhibits were funded by a grant from the National Park Foundation.

The National Historic Site commemorates a significant phase of America's westward expansion and stands as a reminder of 80 turbulent years in the history of federal Indian policy.

"The Territory was set apart for the Indians in 1828. The government at that time promised them protection. That promise has always been ignored. The only protection that has ever been afforded them is through the courts. To us who have been located on this borderland has fallen the task of acting as protectors," said Federal Judge Isaac C. Parker in 1896.

The renovated parks' building holds many stories from the past. It was first used in the early 1800s as an army barracks by the military sent to the post to keep peace and administer government policies over tribal peoples. Beginning in 1872, it was used as the federal courthouse and a jail. In 1887, a new jail was constructed adjacent to the courthouse. With the recent rehabilitation project the historic courthouse and jail building have been restored and now include a visitors center.

Fort Smith's role in history continues into the mid-1800s. During the Civil War, the Confiscation Act, passed by the U.S. Congress in 1862, stated that Confederates who did not surrender within 60 days of the act's passage were to be punished by having their slaves freed. The act declared all slaves taking refuge behind Union lines captives of war who were to be set free. As troops advanced, these "freedmen" faced a new dilemma, where to turn for refuge. In turn, how to care for those former slaves became a plaguing problem for field commanders occupying Southern territory and for federal posts. In northwest Arkansas, many freedmen took up refuge at Fort Smith where aid and relief were provided to former slaves who sought refuge in the city and garrison from 1863-1865.