Hidden History of Fort Smith, Arkansas
Title | Hidden History of Fort Smith, Arkansas PDF eBook |
Author | Ben Boulden |
Publisher | Arcadia Publishing |
Pages | 146 |
Release | 2012-03-04 |
Genre | History |
ISBN | 1614234671 |
During the days of American westward expansion Fort Smith was the gritty frontier town whose lawless reputation became known both east and west of the Mississippi. Dubbed "Hell on the Border," the last developed township just before unsettled native territory, Fort Smith laid low more than its fair share of settlers, pioneers, and outlaws alike. Yet after years of disorder, reformers and lawmen helped tame the city's wild ways, beginning Fort Smith's transformation into the prosperous city it is today. Yet buried beneath Fort Smith's infamous past are forgotten stories, untold tales, and little known facts concealed just below the city's historical surface. After years spent researching the city's history for his historical column in the Times Record, journalist Ben Boulden uncovers Fort Smith's hidden history.
The Fort Smith Story
Title | The Fort Smith Story PDF eBook |
Author | Edwin P. Hicks |
Publisher | |
Pages | 64 |
Release | 19?? |
Genre | Fort Smith (Ark.) |
ISBN |
Fort Smith, Little Gibraltar on the Arkansas
Title | Fort Smith, Little Gibraltar on the Arkansas PDF eBook |
Author | Edwin C. Bearss |
Publisher | |
Pages | 351 |
Release | 1979 |
Genre | History |
ISBN | 9780806112329 |
No history of the West is complete without the story of Fort Smith, the fort that “refused to die.” Established in 1817, Fort Smith was repeatedly abandoned and reoccupied during the following fifty years, eventually becoming the mother post of the Southwest. The original fort was installed on the Arkansas River by Major William Bradford and a company of the Rifles Regiment. Bradford's mission was to stop a bloody war between the Osages and the Cherokees, a conflict discouraging the emigration of eastern Indians to the lands west of the Mississippi and thereby interfering with the government's removal policy. During the Civil War, Confederate armies at Wilson's Creek, Pea Ridge, and Prairie Grove were supplied from Fort Smith, and the Rebel force that crushed Opothleyoholo's band marched from Fort Smith. The fort was taken by Federal troops in September 1863 and served as a Union base for the remainder of the Civil War. In 1871 the army again abandoned the fort, but the Federal Court for the Western District of Arkansas soon moved in. Under Judge Isaac Parker, the renowned “Hanging Judge of Fort Smith,” the court became a force for law and order in much of Indian Territory.
Fort Smith National Historic Site, Arkansas
Title | Fort Smith National Historic Site, Arkansas PDF eBook |
Author | C. Craig Frazier |
Publisher | |
Pages | 386 |
Release | 1987 |
Genre | Fort Smith (Ark.) |
ISBN |
History of Fort Smith, Arkansas
Title | History of Fort Smith, Arkansas PDF eBook |
Author | J. Fred Patton |
Publisher | |
Pages | 0 |
Release | 1936 |
Genre | Arkansas |
ISBN |
Fort Smith
Title | Fort Smith PDF eBook |
Author | Odie B. Faulk |
Publisher | |
Pages | 231 |
Release | 1983 |
Genre | Fort Smith (Ark.) |
ISBN | 9780865460515 |
FORT SMITH
Title | FORT SMITH PDF eBook |
Author | Kevin L. Jones |
Publisher | Arcadia Library Editions |
Pages | 130 |
Release | 2013-11-11 |
Genre | History |
ISBN | 9781531668556 |
Fort Smith's story reflects the growth of America. The small frontier fort, established in 1817, served as a link to the emerging West and was occupied by Federal troops until the 1870s. The US District for Western Arkansas and Indian Territory was also centered here, as judge Isaac C. Parker, attorney William H.H. Clayton, marshals Heck Thomas, Bass Reeves, Jacob Yoes, and many others sought to civilize the Wild West. Lawmen, farmers, blue-collar workers, civic leaders, and creative business owners built a hub of culture, health care, transportation, and enterprise. The evolution of Fort Chaffee since the 1940s and the addition of the Arkansas Air National Guard in the 1950s also shaped the economy and patriotism of the area. The progression in education and commerce over time reveals further success. Fort Smith's development is tied to natural resources, a drive toward the future, and its celebration of the past.