Fort Smith National Historic Site is a National Historic Site located in Fort Smith,

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...

, along the

Arkansas River The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. It generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's source basin lies in Colorado, specifically ...

. The first fort at this site was established by the United States in 1817, before this area was established as part of

Indian Territory Indian Territory and the Indian Territories are terms that generally described an evolving land area set aside by the Federal government of the United States, United States government for the relocation of Native Americans in the United States, ...

. It was later replaced and the second fort was operated by the US until 1871. This site was designated as a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...

in 1961. The fort was an early site of the

United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas The United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas (in case citations, W.D. Ark.) is a federal court in the Eighth Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are appea ...

, which had jurisdiction over western Arkansas and all of Indian Territory. Court operations began at the recently abandoned fort in November, 1872, Judge William Story, presiding. This court is best known for the two decade tenure of Judge Isaac C. Parker. The town of

Fort Smith, Arkansas Fort Smith is the List of municipalities in Arkansas, third-most populous city in Arkansas, United States, and one of the two county seats of Sebastian County, Arkansas, Sebastian County. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the pop ...

developed around the fort.

Description

The site includes the second historic fort constructed at this place. In addition, located on the grounds are the foundation remains of the first Fort Smith (1817–1824), the commissary building (c. 1838) and a reconstruction of the gallows used by the federal court. A walking trail along the Arkansas River includes wayside exhibits on the

Trail of Tears The Trail of Tears was the forced displacement of about 60,000 people of the " Five Civilized Tribes" between 1830 and 1850, and the additional thousands of Native Americans and their black slaves within that were ethnically cleansed by the U ...

. Congress authorized acquisition of land on the Oklahoma bank of the Arkansas River to be included in the National Historic Site, in order to preserve a historic

viewshed A viewshed is the geographical area that is visible from a location. It includes all surrounding points that are in line-of-sight with that location and excludes points that are beyond the horizon or obstructed by terrain and other features (e.g. ...

, but it has not been acquired. The park visitor center is now located in the old Barracks/Courthouse/Jail building. Exhibits in the visitor center focus on Fort Smith's military history from 1817 to 1871, its role in the western expansion of the United States, Federal District Judge

Isaac C. Parker Isaac Charles Parker (October 15, 1838 – November 17, 1896), also known as "Hanging Judge" Parker, was an American politician and jurist. He served as a United States representative (congressman) in two separate districts subsequently from M ...

and the federal courts' effects on justice in

, the U.S. Deputy Marshals and outlaws, Federal Indian policy, and Indian Removal, including the Cherokee

History

The site was established in 1961 in order to protect the remains of two 19th-century U.S. military forts, including a building that once housed the

, which had jurisdiction over federal cases in

. Fort Smith was also notable as a major stop for the

Choctaw The Choctaw ( ) people are one of the Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States, originally based in what is now Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. The Choctaw language is a Western Muskogean language. Today, Choct ...

and

Cherokee The Cherokee (; , or ) people are one of the Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, they were concentrated in their homelands, in towns along river valleys of what is now southwestern ...

people along the "Trail of Tears." during the period of Indian Removal from the Southeast. It was designated a

in 1961.Frank B. Sarls Jr. (December 10, 1958) , National Park Service and The original fort was established on December 25, 1817, by Major William Bradford in order to maintain harmony between the local Osage Indians, who had long been dominant in this territory, and a band of Cherokee who had migrated west, under pressure from European Americans, from their traditional territory in the Southeast. This time would later be historically referenced as the "First Fort." It ended in 1824 when the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...

abandoned Fort Smith after constructing

Fort Gibson Fort Gibson is a historic military site next to the modern city of Fort Gibson, in Muskogee County Oklahoma. It guarded the American frontier in Indian Territory from 1824 to 1888. When it was constructed, the fort was farther west than any ot ...

further west. As a result of the increased tensions Indians following the

Indian Removal Act of 1830 The Indian Removal Act of 1830 was signed into law on May 28, 1830, by United States president Andrew Jackson. The law, as described by Congress, provided "for an exchange of lands with the Indians residing in any of the states or territories, ...

, and local white settlers who encroached on their territory, the U.S. Army created a second Fort Smith in 1838 near the original's ruins. This is the beginning of the historical "Second Fort" period. During General

Zachary Taylor Zachary Taylor (November 24, 1784 – July 9, 1850) was an American military officer and politician who was the 12th president of the United States, serving from 1849 until his death in 1850. Taylor was a career officer in the United States ...

's command of the fort in the 1840s, it became a supply depot for other forts within the Indian Territory. It was captured during the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

from Confederate forces in 1863 by Union troops. The majority of the Cherokee and other Five Civilized Tribes had initially allied with the Confederacy, and supplied warriors to its forces. The fort continued in use as a supply depot to other forts in the region until it was no longer occupied in an official capacity by 1871; historically the end of the "Second Fort" era.

Site of the Federal Court

As often happened, a small town developed around the fort, with people attracted for business. In addition,

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

created the

on March 3, 1851.

Daniel Ringo Daniel Ringo (October 27, 1803 – September 3, 1873) was a justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court, and later a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Arkansas, the United States District Court for th ...

was the first Judge appointed to the bench. Initial court operations were located in Van Buren, Arkansas. This court remained busy as it enforced federal law in both western Arkansas and Indian Territory. Additionally, it had jurisdiction in crimes involving United States citizens, whether they were the perpetrator or the victim. Court activity continued in this location until interrupted by the Civil War. Following the Civil War, court operations were reestablished in Van Buren before moving to Fort Smith in 1872. Initially, court was held in the Rogers building in downtown Fort Smith. Judge William Story presided over the first day of court in Fort Smith on May 8, 1871. After the destruction of the Rogers building in a fire, United States Marshal Logan Roots received permission to move onto the recently vacated military reservation in late 1872. Court was held for the first time on the fort property on November 18, 1872. 1873 and 1874 saw more change as Congress responded to the outcome of an 1872 gunfight in Goingsnake District of the Cherokee Nation, an investigation into the finances of U.S. Marshal Roots, and bribery charges against Judge Story. The attention given the district led to the resignations of both Roots and Story in 1873 and 1874, respectively. United States Representative

, a Republican from Missouri, had a history of interest in the business of the federal court in Fort Smith. In 1874, President Ulysses H. Grant appointed Parker to be the chief justice for

Utah Territory The Territory of Utah was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 4, 1896, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Utah, the 45th st ...

. Parker, seeing the events in Fort Smith, requested instead to be appointed to the bench in the Western District of Arkansas. Grant acquiesced to the request and Parker was confirmed by Congress, with his appointment effective on March 19, 1875.Bearss 1968, P. 43 The 36-year-old judge opened court on May 10, 1875, barely a week after his arrival in Fort Smith. His twenty years on the bench, most of it at "the Old Fort," cemented his name in Western history. There are a variety of stories regarding his actions on the bench and his control of the court and the district. Regardless of the truth in thiese stories, or lack thereof, his tenure from 1875 to 1896 is still part of the legend that has grown around him, "Parker's Ironmen," and Fort Smith.

Image gallery

File:FIRST FORT SMITH.jpg, Site of the first fort erected in 1818 File:COMMISSARY BUILDING IN FT. SMITH.jpg,

Commissary A commissary is a government official charged with oversight or an ecclesiastical official who exercises in special circumstances the jurisdiction of a bishop. In many countries, the term is used as an administrative or police title. It often c ...

Building File:JUDGE PARKER'S COURTROOM.jpg, Judge

Parker Parker may refer to: People * Parker (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Parker (surname), including a list of people and fictional characters with the surname Arts and entertainment * ''Parke ...

's courtroom

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Fort Smith National Historic Site 1961 establishments in Arkansas American Civil War on the National Register of Historic Places American Civil War sites in Arkansas Arkansas Heritage Trails System Buildings and structures in Fort Smith, Arkansas Culture of Fort Smith, Arkansas

Smith Smith may refer to: People and fictional characters * Metalsmith, or simply smith, a craftsman fashioning tools or works of art out of various metals * Smith (given name) * Smith (surname), a family name originating in England ** List of people ...

History museums in Arkansas