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.