Fort Smith, city (2020 pop. 89,142),
seat of Sebastian co., NW Ark., at the Okla. line where the Arkansas and
Poteau rivers join; inc. 1842. It is the rail, trade, and industrial center
of a farm and livestock area. Its manufactures include construction
materials, food and beverages, textiles, furniture, and hardware. An 1817
military post here became a supply point during the 1848 gold rush; the
lawless area was cleaned up (1870s) by “Hanging Judge” Isaac
Parker, but
Bordello Row and other reminders are celebrated today. The Fort Smith
National Historic Site includes the Old Fort Museum and Judge
Parker's court (see National Parks and Monuments,
tablenational parks and monuments,
table). A national Civil War cemetery and an annual
rodeo draw visitors. In 1969 the city was linked by the Arkansas River
project with the Gulf of Mexico; the dam built east of Fort Smith created a
large lake.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
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