Historic Fort Smith, Arkansas

While staying in Oklahoma, we drove about 60 miles to visit the historic site of Fort Smith.  It is located in the city of Fort Smith on the Arkansas River that borders Oklahoma and Arkansas.

We crossed the Arkansas River traveling on Hwy 40 through Oklahoma to Arkansas.

Fort Smith National Historic Site includes the remains of two frontier forts and the Federal Court for the Western District of Arkansas. 

The first Fort Smith was established to maintain peace between the local Osage Indians and the emigrating Cherokees and non-Indian settlers moving west.  The pistols and badges were some of the deputy's tools of the trade.  Deputies also carried rifles and employed guards, possemen and a cook. 

The brass key and padlock are reported to have been used in the 1870's at the federal jail at Fort Smith.  The bars are the original bars from the windows of the jail.

The restored courtroom and original desk and chair of Judge Isaac Parker.  Judge Parker who served in the late 1800's was a strong defender of justice and a supporter of Indian rights.

Pieces of dishes, cups, etc. are part of the collection of the earliest settlers at Fort Smith.

This building is the second fort's commissary and is the oldest building in the city of Fort Smith being constructed in 1838.  It was originally constructed as a bastion (a firing area of a fort) but was soon converted into a supply warehouse.

The supplies stored in the commissary were transported to troops stationed further west.  The replicas of the supplies made you feel as though you were taken back in time. 

The first Fort Smith was established in 1817 and was only 132 feet on each side.  It had blockhouses on alternate corners.  The first fort was never maintained and soon fell to ruins.  Its exact location was unknown until the foundations seen here were discovered in 1963 by archeologists.

The first Fort Smith was located on a bluff above the junction of the Poteau and Arkansas rivers as seen here.  It's always intriguing to think of the people who have stood in this same location and are part of the history of this area.

This flagpole is a replica of the flagpole that would have flown over the second Fort Smith including the 37-star flag.  Nearby an outline of stones indicate the original location of the second fort.

The Trail of Tears National Historic Trail was established by Congress in 1987 to commemorate the removal of the five Eastern Tribes by the forced move to Oklahoma.  The historic trail (which is on the grounds of this national historic site) and exhibits in the museum interpret the impact of the removal on the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Muscogee (Creek) and Seminole.

Other historic buildings of the city of Fort Smith.  The buildings may not be from the era of both of the forts but are still quite old.  We enjoyed our day of exploration of this site and city.