Life on the Edge of the Frontier:
Explore life on the edge of frontier and Indian Territory through the stories of soldiers, the Trail of Tears, scandals, outlaws, and lawmen who pursued them.
From the establishment of the first Fort Smith on December 25, 1817, to the final days of Judge Isaac C. Parker's jurisdiction over Indian Territory in 1896, Fort Smith National Historic Site preserves almost 80 years of history.
Sept 27, 2024
We made a return trip to take in the Visitor Center that was closed for renovation our last visit. The Visitor Center was very well done with so much to take in that you can spend a couple hours going through it. Daisy also tagged along to get her BARK Ranger Tag, and she enjoyed her time taking in the grounds.
Sept 25, 2021
Lots of interesting history. Fort Smith was the last fort before the Indian territory of Oklahoma. It was here that Judge Isaac Parker held the bench. While not a strong supporter of capital punishment he sentenced 160 men to death due to the sentencing guidelines during his time on the bench, resulting in the Judge earning the nick name "The hanging Judge". 86 men met the gallows under his tenure. The Visitor's Center was closed for renovation during our visit, so we plan on a return trip later. We got to take in the rest of the unit including the rebuilt gallows and a nice trail that takes in most of the outlying areas of the unit. We spent a few hours here this visit and look forward to a return to take in the Visitors Center and Court room of Judge Isaac Parker.
Click here for photos of our visit 2021
Click here for photos of our visit 2024
Our 148th NPS Unit
