History & Culture

Fort Smith National Historic Site preserves nearly 80 years of history. From 1817 to 1896, the fort witnessed the Civil War, the Trail of Tears, federal Indian policy, outlaws and lawmen, and Judge Isaac C. Parker's 21-year jurisdiction over the Western District of Arkansas.

 

Duration:

14 minutes, 59 seconds

Overview of the history of Fort Smith from 1817 to 1896.

 

 

First Fort
1817-1824
Major Stephen Long	People
Balthazar Kramer	People
Major William Bradford	People
Belle Point	Places
The Bad Tempered Buffalo Affair	Stories

 

Trail Of Tears
1831-1845
Eyewitness Account of Cherokee Removal	Stories
Cherokee Removal Routes	Stories
Cherokee Round Up	Stories
Cherokee Relations with the U.S. Government	Stories
Enabling Legislation (ToT National Historic Trail)	Stories

 

Second Fort
1838-1871
Commanding Officers	People
Fort Smith's USCT	People
Stationed Units	People
Reverend Francis Springer	People
Enlisted Men's Barracks	Places
Building the Second Fort Smith	Places
Attack on the Bigelows (1833)	Stories
Overland Mail Celebration	Stories
Confederate Attack on Fort Smith (1864)	Stories
Social Life at the Garrison	Stories

 

Federal Court
1872-1896
Western District of Arkansas Federal Court Database	People
Judge Isaac C. Parker	People
George Maledon: Prince of Hangmen (external link)	People
Outlaws	People
Deputy Marshals and Other Federal Court Employees	People
Bynum Colbert: Fort Smith Soldier and Lawman	People
Bass Reeves, Deputy Marshal	People
Women in the Federal Court	People
Men Executed at Fort Smith	People
Crawford Goldsby, alias Cherokee Bill	People
Dan Evans and the Murder of William Seaboalt	People
Hell on the Border Jail	Places
Reforming the Hell on the Border Jail	Places
Gallows	Places
Thanksgiving in the U.S. Jail	Stories
Christmas in the U.S. Jail	Stories
Myths? - Doolin and Tilghman	Stories
Rattlesnake Cave	Stories
What's in a Name? Outlaws in Parker's Court	Stories
Jail Escapes and Attempts	Stories

 

Collections
Thomas Boles, US Marshal Record Book	Record Book
Second Fort Smith	Postcards
Commissary	Postcards
Quartermaster Storehouse	Postcards
Federal Court Era	Postcards
Poteau and Arkansas Rivers	Postcards
City of Fort Smith	Postcards
Welfare Era	Postcards