Fort Smith National Historic Site originally established as a fort to keep the peace as Cherokee and white settlers migrated west into lands already peopled by the Osage. Later this was the site of Judge Issac C. Parker’s court. We visited both the original prison as well as the “modern” jail, Parker’s courtroom and the gallows. We also visited the archeological site of the original fort, walked across the line that marked the border between Arkansas and Indian Territory, and pondered the history of The Trail of Tears which ended near here but began near our home in NC. It was a fascinating visit to a place that played a key role in the history of the American West.
  
  
  
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