Bicentennial times
Arkansas won’t celebrate its statehood bicentennial for another two decades. One significant part of Arkansas history, however, is reaching that milestone now.
In late 1817, Major William Bradford established a military outpost at the confluence of the Arkansas River and its tributary, the Poteau. Following the traditional convention of naming U.S. forts after distinguished military veterans, this particular frontier post’s eponymous roots were linked to Virginian Thomas Adams Smith. Smith’s army career spanned 15 years, and included commendable service during the War of 1812.
It’s possible that you, like myself and many other Arkansans, have never heard of Colonel Smith. The unawareness is eternally mutual: The colonel died in 1844 and never visited his Natural State namesake, which we all know as Fort Smith.
Prior to just a few weeks ago, neither had I, really.
I had “passed through” frequently, of course. Situated along the Interstate 40 corridor, any westward-bound motorist speeds past several Fort Smith exit signs before entering Oklahoma. And Fort Smith is routinely (and correctly) referred to as Arkansas’ second-largest city, though it has less than half the population of the state’s largest city (Little Rock).
In my recent visits there, however, I can say this much with complete confidence: Fort Smith is an underrated city in almost every category. Let’s start by focusing on its remarkable past.
History lovers and preservationists who have never spent significant time at Fort Smith have truly missed a treasure trove right here in our own backyard.
The frontier town was both prime witness to the lawlessness of the Wild West lying just over the river in the vast “Indian Territory,” and also dispenser of justice through the Western Arkansas Federal District Court established there in 1870.
The Fort Smith National Historic Site is operated by the National Park Service, and its quality of instruction about the first four decades of Fort Smith’s existence is second to none.
In one stroll around the grounds, a visitor can see the foundations of the first Fort Smith founded in 1817, tour surviving buildings from the second Fort Smith built in 1838, surmise the transition from military barracks to federal courthouse, shudder inside the infamous “Hell-on-the-border” jail, and solemnly trace the final path of condemned outlaws to a replica of the gallows.
The court’s jurisdiction covered 74,000 square miles, and its gavel was subject to no appeals. Replacing a notoriously corrupt magistrate, Judge Isaac Parker presided over the court for 21 turbulent years, trying some 13,000 cases resulting in more than 8,500 convictions or guilty pleas.
Tagged by critics as the “Hanging Judge” following his first court session in which he sentenced eight convicted men to death, and had six of them executed on the same day, Parker opposed capital punishment—though he strictly adhered to the law mandating it.
In truth, Judge Parker was a very fair-minded judge who established a much-needed moral force from the bench.
The most famous U.S. marshal serving Parker’s court was a fictional one. Reuben “Rooster” Cogburn was the creation of Arkansas novelist Charles Portis, and the character’s film portrayals garnered one Oscar (John Wayne, in 1970) and another nomination (Jeff Bridges, in 2011).
I asked the clerk in the National Historic Site visitor’s center if any of the 2010 True Grit movie had been filmed there. She said no, but that a film crew had been there for research.
It was news to me to learn Fort Smith is home to Arkansas’ oldest national cemetery. There’s no better place to escape the caustic contentiousness over Civil War issues like confederate statues.
Walking past an alarmingly large number of unknown soldier headstones, and gazing out over row after row of white markers lining the grassy green, with only the murmur of a breeze as background chatter with the distant traffic, provides an accepting peace that surpasses understanding about all the fallen and their collective sacrifice.
The charm of historical past imbues all of Fort Smith, not just its museums and sites. Its downtown rates among the best anywhere in Arkansas, populated with eateries, watering holes, shops and boutiques along the appropriately named Garrison Avenue.
An unexpectedly large number of old, architecturally stunning churches anchor intersections and reflect a surprisingly diverse range of faiths. The iconic Immaculate Conception cathedral prominently occupies one of the unusual triangular blocks created by the city’s 45-degree angle layout of some business district streets.
With all its art (the building-size murals commissioned throughout the city are stunning) and antiques and historic homes, Fort Smith suffers no deficiency in nature and natural excursions.
The trails down on the riverfront offer scenic views along broad, paved paths for the pedestrian or cyclist, and the Saturday morning farmers market is regarded as one of the finest in the region.
The University of Arkansas at Fort Smith, which is home to 7,500 students, operates its entire campus under an arboretum master plan.
Complementing Fort Smith’s bicentennial legacy and natural aesthetics is nod after nod to magnificent modernity in business, technology, health care and education. The Bicentennial Celebration starts this Christmas and lasts throughout 2018.