Fort Smith history depicted with bronze statues in new Gateway Park.
Bronze statues depict city figures of the past as visitors enter downtown
FORT SMITH — People driving into downtown Fort Smith from the east side on Rogers Avenue will now be greeted by three important figures from the city’s history during the 1800s.
The focal point of the new Gateway Park at Garrison and Rogers avenues in Fort Smith — the most noticeable thing about it when driving past it — is a large, elevated bronze statue of Isaac C. Parker, who was appointed judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas in 1875. Bronze statues of two other key people, John Carnall and Mother Mary Teresa Farrell, are placed behind him, closer to the ground.
John McIntosh, who works in production and development with 64.6 Downtown, said in an interview on Wednesday that the park, which he described as a place to gather and reflect, was the result of a public/ private partnership between 64.6 Downtown and the City of Fort Smith. Officials held a ceremony on Thursday that included 64.6 Downtown transferring ownership of the park to the City of Fort Smith, making it an official city park.
Talicia Richardson, executive director of 64.6 Downtown, a nonprofit organization that focuses on revitalization projects for downtown Fort Smith, said Thursday she believes the park provides a visual shock factor as one is driving into the downtown corridor.
“You’re greeted by a statue, and the depiction of three statues, one of those being a female, is also very, very important regarding the impact of women pioneers within the city of Fort Smith,” Richardson said. “In addition to that, you have a full story of the individuals that are there, particularly Judge Parker.”
The three bronze statues, which were curated by sculptor Spencer Schubert at E.S. Schubert Sculpture Studios in Kansas City, Mo., represent specific features, according to McIntosh. Parker represents not just law and order in Fort Smith, but also a community leader.
“He was much more than just a judge,” McIntosh said. “He was instrumental in getting the school system started here. He was a vocal leader for women’s rights. He was a School Board member. He was really a community leader, much more so than just a federal judge.”
Farrell, McIntosh said, represents health care in the Fort Smith region while Carnall represents public education. Plaques at the park explaining who the statues represent and their historical significance state that Farrell, founder of the Sisters of Mercy in Arkansas, laid the foundation of education and health care for both the state and Fort Smith specifically.
In turn, Carnall established the first free public school in Fort Smith and played an important role in establishing the Fort Smith Special School District, in addition to making other contributions to the city.
Schubert said Thursday the Parker statue, which features the judge sitting in a chair with an open book, is about 7 feet tall from the base to the top and weighs about 1,900 pounds. The statues of Carnall and Farrell, who are standing, are slightly shorter and weigh about 900 pounds. All three statues were installed on Tuesday.
McIntosh said 64.6 raised the necessary funds through private donations to acquire the property for the park, build the park and commission the statues. Construction began in June and ended Sunday, although some landscaping still needs to be completed by 64.6. Richardson said the total cost for the park is “close to $800,000.”
Rick Griffin, chairman of the park development committee within 64.6 Downtown, said Thursday the project was conceptualized about 5 years ago. Part of the goal with the project was to bookend the gateways into downtown Fort Smith with a better entrance on the eastern end. A statue of Deputy U.S. Marshal Bass Reeves currently stands in Ross Pendergraft Park at the western end of Garrison Avenue.
Fort Smith City Administrator Carl Geffken said via email Thursday that the City of Fort Smith’s contribution to the project included building the sidewalks and curbs, as well as purchasing and installing the decorative lighting at the park. The city also closed a small portion of 13th Street. The partnership between the city and 64.6 for the park was formalized in August 2017, when the city formally expressed an interest in working together and began the process of closing that part of 13th Street.
“For residents and visitors, [the park] will remind them of Fort Smith’s rich history as the gateway to the west and the people who played an important role in that history, and also teach them about people who were key to making Fort Smith the city it is today,” Geffken said.