Fort Smith and Sebastian County

From its establishment as a settlement known as La Belle Pointe in 1817, to the founding of the town of Fort Smith by John Rogers in 1839, to its present-day life as a thriving community full of civic energy, the area at the junction of the Poteau and Arkansas Rivers has a long and colorful history. In Fort Smith and Sebastian County, you are invited to take a visual tour of the area as it was in the early days, when the town of Fort Smith was located near the heart of the Outlaw Territory. Learn about the impact that outlaws such as Belle Starr, Cherokee Bill and the Rufus Buck Gang, and Smoker Mankiller had on the area, and discover why, on the floor of Congress, Judge Isaac Parker's courthouse was described as a "slaughterhouse." Also included in this collection are early snapshots of local landmarks including the Goldman Hotel, the Coca-Cola Bottling Plant, and the Union Station Train Depot, as well as rare images of Sebastian County residents at work and at play.