Fort Smith National Historic Site — Attraction in Fort Smith

Fort Smith National Historic Site, Fort Smith Arkansas:

If you are an America the Beautiful member, like us, then this amazing piece of history is free.  If you're not, then there is a small charge to enter but it's well worth the price.

I wasn't really sure of what to expect from this place but walked away from it with more knowledge and a much better understanding of the time period than I had expected.

The original wooden fort was built in 1817 and actually lost for over 120 years until archaeologists located it.

Fort Smith National Historic Site preserves almost 80 years of history to explore.                The site includes the remains of two frontier forts and the Federal Court for the Western District of Arkansas. Judge Isaac C. Parker, known as the "hangin' judge," presided over the court for 21 years. He sentenced 160 people to death, and for fourteen years he did so while the condemned had no right of appeal.

Exhibits in the visitor center focus on Fort Smith’s military history from 1817 – 1871, western expansion, the federal court’s impact on Indian Territory, Federal Indian policy, and Indian Removal.  I was literally appalled by what our government did, the lies they told, the promises and treaties they broke over and over to the Indians who's land we stole.

Be sure to see the gallows that are on the property.  From 1873 through 1896, eighty-six men were executed there. All the men executed were convicted of rape or murder. After the Civil War, there was a mandatory federal death sentence in cases of rape or murder.

There's so much to see and learn here, I could write a book.  Go, read, and learn... The writer-philosopher George Santayana is credited with the phrase: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned...

I suspect, just a hunch, that this place received National Historic Site status largely through political pressure. I've been to a lot of NHS's and this isn't one of the more notable ones. Don't misunderstand; NPS did a really good job here. The visitor center is definitely worth a stop and you'll learn some important stuff, including dispelling some treasured American myths (eg that Judge Parker was "the hanging judge" because he ordered more hangings than any other judge in American history - but he also presided over an incredible number of criminal prosecutions, almost all involving crimes committed in Indian Territory). Naturally they have to sugarcoat and trim a lot of the history. That happens every time you encounter Indian history at an NPS site. The bald truth is that 15th to 20th century Euroamericans never understood the most basic facts about Amerind culture (absence of racism, absence of nationalism, absence of bureaucracy), and Americans still don't, so NPS has an insuperable task there. And another bald truth is that Fort Smith just wasn't very important in the Frontier period. But still they do a really good job in the visitor center, and the grounds make for a pleasant stroll, and the Arkansas was a damned important river. But visit Bent's Old Fort NHS if you want to...

Lots of nice walking trails along the river with wayside signs that chronicle the history of the fort. On the day we visited, park rangers had left a box on near the side entrance to the visitors center with Jr Ranger booklets, Jr Ranger badges, information pamphlets and park stamps. We ran into two rangers who said it was their first day leaving out these park items and a test run. Junior Ranger would need access to the visitor's center to complete the booklet, but there was still a lotof information kids can gather from the wayside information signs. We really appreciated having the booklets, badges and stamps available, as my kids love national parks and the junior ranger program. On the park's website they also have a junior ranger program for the outdoor portion of the park- be warned that this booklet is dated and does not match the current wayside signs! My kids still had fun filling out what they could but some kids might find it frustrating. We were able to fill out about half of this booklet. The Trail of Tears outlook and wayside signs were washed away in a flood in 2019.

We visted on August 2nd; this review is of the exterior portions of the fort as the visitor's center was closed during our visit...