Fort Smith, Arkansas

Name: Fort Smith, Arkansas
Address: Fort Smith, AR

Everything Fort Smith is known for

8 songs mention this city 1 artist from here

RoadyGoat plays music like this when you drive through Fort Smith. It's free on iPhone, and full songs play through Apple Music.

Music in Fort Smith

Songs About Fort Smith

Shreveport

Turnpike Troubadours

49%

""Could you drop me off in Fort Smith, sir? I've got family there""

trail of tears

Pitney Meyer

21%

bass reeves

r.w. hampton

20%

"Judge Parker at the courthouse said, 'Bass, pin this badge on and ride for me'"

Tom Ames' Prayer

Steve Earle

19%

"How they nearly hung me for stealin' a horse / In Fort Smith Arkansas"

Tom Ames’ Prayer

Steve Earle

"How they nearly hung me for stealing a horse In Fort Smith, Arkansas"

What I Really Mean

Robert Earl Keen

"Drove from Albuquerque to Ft. Smith, Arkansas"

Tom Ames’ Prayer

Robert Earl Keen

"How they nearly hung me for stealin' a horse / In Fort Smith, Arkansas"

Big Daddy vs. Dolemite

Big Daddy Kane

"Well Dolemite is my name"

Artists From Fort Smith

JD Clayton

country

Rivers & Roads in Song near Fort Smith

Songs written about the waterways and highways that run near Fort Smith.

Arkansas River 8 songs US Route 71 2 songs Highway I 40 21 songs Interstate 49 4 songs U.S. Route 59 9 songs Illinois River 2 songs

History of Fort Smith

Bass Reeves: The Deputy Marshal Who Couldn't Read His Warrants RoadyGoat

1875

You're in the heart of old Fort Smith, where Judge Isaac Parker ran the federal court for the wild Indian Territory, and where one of the West's greatest lawmen pinned on his star. Bass Reeves was born into slavery around 1838 and grew up unable to read or write. When Parker took the Fort Smith bench in 1875, the marshals needed deputies who knew the Territory and could speak its Native languages, and Reeves knew it better than almost anyone. He became one of the first Black deputy U.S. Marshals west of the Mississippi. Because he could not read, he had his warrants read aloud and memorized every name and charge, then served them without fail. A master of disguise, he would ride into outlaw country dressed as a tramp or a poor farmer, hiding his badge and cuffs under rags. He was a dead shot who was never wounded, though he had his hat, his belt, and even his horse's reins shot away. In 1878 he ended a long hunt for the outlaw Bob Dozier in a single gunfight. Over thirty-two years he was credited with more than three thousand arrests. A bronze monument to him stands here today. (Sources: National Park Service, Fort Smith NHS; Encyclopedia of Arkansas; TSHA Handbook of Texas.)

RoadyGoat →

Before the Badge: The Fugitive Who Learned the Territory RoadyGoat

1862

Long before he wore a badge, Bass Reeves crossed this country as a fugitive. Taken into the war by the Texas family that enslaved him, he broke away and fled north into Indian Territory, where he lived for years among the Creek, Cherokee, and Seminole. He learned their languages, their customs, and the lay of a land few outsiders could navigate. When emancipation made him a free man, Reeves came to the Van Buren area, just across the Arkansas River from Fort Smith, and built a life as a farmer and stockman, raising a large family of ten or eleven children. That hard-won knowledge of the Territory and its peoples is exactly what made him so valuable when the federal marshals came looking for deputies in 1875. The skills he picked up as a runaway became the foundation of a thirty-two-year career as a lawman. (Sources: TSHA Handbook of Texas; Encyclopedia of Arkansas; National Park Service.)

RoadyGoat → · 5.3 mi away

Van Buren, AR RoadyGoat

Van Buren, Arkansas, a town nestled on the Arkansas River, breathes history. Its strategic location, elevated above the valley floor, made it a crucial transportation point, a role that shaped its early development. The echoes of riverboats and frontier life still resonate, particularly at the Drennen-Scott Historic Site, a window into the 19th century. While the Great Depression dealt a blow to the region's cotton-based economy, the town persevered, evolving into a center for healthcare and retail. But Van Buren isn't just about commerce and history; it's also fostered talent.

7.2 mi away

Fort Smith National Historic Site

1817

Federal courthouse where Judge Isaac C. Parker, the 'Hanging Judge,' presided over Indian Territory justice from 1875 to 1896, sentencing 160 people to death.

Camp Chaffee - Fort Chaffee

1941

Military installation near Fort Smith where Elvis Presley received his famous Army haircut in 1958 and where thousands of Vietnamese and Cuban refugees were processed.

6.6 mi away

Spiro Mounds Archaeological Center

800

One of the most important pre-Columbian archaeological sites in North America, Spiro was a major political and religious center of the Mississippian culture from 800 to 1450 AD.

14.8 mi away

Alma Spinach Capital - Popeye Statue

1987

Alma, Arkansas declared itself the Spinach Capital of the World in 1987 and erected a Popeye statue, thanks to Allen Canning Company processing more spinach than any other facility in the country.

13.1 mi away

Everything Near Fort Smith

48 stories, landmarks & places within ~20 miles — the same local lore RoadyGoat plays as you drive through.

Fort Smith, AR · Local history
Fort Smith, Arkansas, owes much of its early prosperity to its location at the confluence of the Arkansas and Poteau Rivers. This strategic point, known as Belle Point, wasn't just a scenic overlook where duels once…
Judge Isaac C. Parker Federal Building · 0.1 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Pull over here – this is where justice met the Wild West. The Judge Isaac C. Parker Federal Building stands where the legendary "hanging judge" Isaac Parker once held court. From 1875 to 1896, Judge Parker presided over…
Fort Smith Museum of History · 0.1 mi · Scraped Hmdb
These walls have seen Fort Smith transform from a rough-and-tumble frontier outpost to the city it is today. Built in 1906, this building started its life as the Atkinson-Williams Warehouse, a vital hub for commerce in…
Bass Reeves: The Deputy Marshal Who Couldn't Read His Warrants · 0.2 mi
You're in the heart of old Fort Smith, where Judge Isaac Parker ran the federal court for the wild Indian Territory, and where one of the West's greatest lawmen pinned on his star. Bass Reeves was born into slavery…
Fort Smith National Historic Site · 0.2 mi · Historical Marker
Federal courthouse where Judge Isaac C. Parker, the 'Hanging Judge,' presided over Indian Territory justice from 1875 to 1896, sentencing 160 people to death.
New Theatre (Fort Smith, Arkansas) · 0.3 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Imagine stepping back in time to the golden age of entertainment! Fort Smith's New Theatre, built in 1911, was once the hottest ticket in town. Modeled after the grand New Amsterdam Theatre in New York, this Beaux Arts…
Maumelle Ordnance Works Locomotive 1 · 0.3 mi · Scraped Hmdb
This unassuming locomotive played a vital role in fueling America's WWII effort. Built in 1942, Maumelle Ordnance Works Locomotive 1 was built by Vulcan Iron Works for the U.S. War Department. Its job was to haul…
Birney Safety Streetcar No. 224 · 0.3 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Hop aboard a piece of Fort Smith history – this is Birney Safety Streetcar No. 224! Built in 1926, this streetcar was a vital part of the city's transportation network. It's a type of streetcar called a Birney "Safety…
Fort Smith National Cemetery · 0.4 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Ever wondered about the untold stories beneath your feet? Here, in Fort Smith National Cemetery, silent rows of headstones whisper tales of courage and sacrifice, a profound testament to the lives that shaped this land.…
Oak Cemetery · 1.9 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Step back in time as we approach Oak Cemetery, Fort Smith's oldest graveyard, where the city's history rests beneath your tires. Founded in 1853, Oak Cemetery became the final resting place for many of Fort Smith's…
Moffett · 2.0 mi · Eohc
You're driving past Moffett, Oklahoma, a town with a reputation that once got it declared off-limits to military personnel. Back in the day, Moffett's drinking and gambling halls were so popular, they drew folks from…
Arkoma · 4.2 mi · Eohc
You're driving past Arkoma, right on the Oklahoma-Arkansas border. This town owes its start to a Civil War veteran and Choctaw Nation intermarriage, Captain James Reynolds. He built a castle nearby and then, in 1911,…

Show all 48 nearby places

Elmwood Cemetery (Fort Smith, Arkansas) · 4.3 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Ever wonder what happened to those who had nowhere else to go in Fort Smith's early days? Elmwood Cemetery, once the Poor Farm Cemetery, holds their stories. In 1890, Sebastian County purchased land for its first poor…
Roland · 4.9 mi · Eohc
You're driving through Roland, Oklahoma, right now. This town didn't start with a bang, but with a railroad. In 1888, the Kansas and Arkansas Valley Railway laid tracks through this area, then part of the Cherokee…
Wilhauf House · 5.0 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Pull over here for a minute – you're looking at one of the oldest houses in Arkansas, a silent witness to nearly two centuries of change. Built around 1838, the Wilhauf House started as a simple log dogtrot, two cabins…
Van Buren Historic District · 5.2 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Step back in time as you enter the Van Buren Historic District, where echoes of bustling commerce still resonate! This eight-block area along Main Street was the heart of Van Buren, nestled perfectly between the…
Before the Badge: The Fugitive Who Learned the Territory · 5.3 mi
Long before he wore a badge, Bass Reeves crossed this country as a fugitive. Taken into the war by the Texas family that enslaved him, he broke away and fled north into Indian Territory, where he lived for years among…
Bob Burns House · 5.4 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Get ready to chuckle! This unassuming house was the childhood home of Bob Burns, a radio star who brought down-home humor to millions. The Burns family moved into this house at 821 Jefferson Street in Van Buren around…
King Opera House · 5.9 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Imagine the echoes of applause and the rustle of velvet curtains – this spot, the King Opera House, was once the beating heart of Van Buren's entertainment scene. Built in the late 19th century, the King Opera House…
Henry Clay Mills House · 6.0 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Pull over for a moment, because you're about to hear about a true American success story. This unassuming spot was once home to Henry Clay Mills, a man born into slavery who built his own house right here in Van Buren…
Camp Chaffee - Fort Chaffee · 6.6 mi · Historical Marker
Military installation near Fort Smith where Elvis Presley received his famous Army haircut in 1958 and where thousands of Vietnamese and Cuban refugees were processed.
Van Buren, AR · 7.2 mi
Van Buren, Arkansas, a town nestled on the Arkansas River, breathes history. Its strategic location, elevated above the valley floor, made it a crucial transportation point, a role that shaped its early development. The…
Spiro Mounds · 9.6 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Imagine a bustling city, not of brick and steel, but of earth and ritual, right here in Oklahoma. That's what Spiro Mounds once was. Between the 900s and 1450s, the Caddoan people built this complex as a major religious…
Pocola · 9.7 mi · Eohc
Right here, near Pocola, you're passing through a place with a Civil War past. On September 1, 1863, the Union Army won a key victory at Devil's Backbone Mountain, just a stone's throw away. After the war, this area…
Muldrow · 9.7 mi · Eohc
You're driving through Muldrow, a town named for a man who never lived here. Henry Muldrow, the assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior, lent his name to this community when the post office opened in…
Fort Coffee (town) · 10.4 mi · Eohc
You're driving through Le Flore County, past the community of Fort Coffee. This place has a history stretching back to the Choctaw removal in 1832. But its name comes from a fort built in 1834, right here, to stop…
Central City, AR · 10.9 mi
Central City, Arkansas, sits nestled near the western edge of the state, not far from the Oklahoma border. The town itself may be small, but its reach extends far beyond its geographic boundaries, thanks in part to some…
Jenson Tunnel · 11.8 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Hold on tight – you're about to discover Oklahoma's one and only railroad tunnel! Back in 1885 and 1886, the Fort Smith & Southern Railway carved this tunnel through Backbone Mountain. At the time, this was Choctaw…
Alma Spinach Capital - Popeye Statue · 13.1 mi · Historical Marker
Alma, Arkansas declared itself the Spinach Capital of the World in 1987 and erected a Popeye statue, thanks to Allen Canning Company processing more spinach than any other facility in the country.
Butterfield Overland Mail Route Lucian Wood Road Segment · 13.2 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Imagine stagecoaches rumbling along this segment of the Butterfield Overland Mail Route, connecting the East and West coasts in the 19th century. This unassuming stretch of road in Crawford County, Arkansas, is part of…
Walker's Station · 13.3 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Imagine stagecoaches thundering through as you stand at this former stop on the Butterfield Overland Mail route. Walker's Station, named for Choctaw Chief Tandy Walker, was a vital stop on this route through Indian…
Hackett, AR · 13.9 mi · Local history
Hackett, Arkansas, a small town tucked into the western edge of the state near the Oklahoma border, doesn't often make national headlines. Yet, its location in the fertile Arkansas River Valley, where the Ozark…
Rock Island · 14.4 mi · Eohc
You're driving past Rock Island, Oklahoma, right near the Arkansas border. This place started as Maney Junction, a key railroad crossing in the Choctaw Nation. In 1905, the post office opened, named Rock Island, likely…
Alma, AR · 14.6 mi
Alma, Arkansas, wears its nickname, the "Spinach Capital of the World," with a quiet pride. You can see it in the expansive fields that stretch out toward the Boston Mountains, the fertile soil nurtured by the Arkansas…
Spiro Mounds Archaeological Center · 14.8 mi · Historical Marker
One of the most important pre-Columbian archaeological sites in North America, Spiro was a major political and religious center of the Mississippian culture from 800 to 1450 AD.
Gans · 15.0 mi · Eohc
You're driving through Gans, Oklahoma, a town with roots in the Cherokee Nation. It started as 'Jack Town,' then became 'Gann' after local brothers. But in 1895, the railroad came through and asked for a name change to…
Brumley, Albert Edward · 15.1 mi · Eohc
You're driving through southeastern Oklahoma, maybe near Spiro, and you're hearing a song that's become a worldwide anthem: "I'll Fly Away." What you might not know is that this gospel standard was penned right here, by…
Le Flore County · 15.1 mi · Eohc
Right here in Le Flore County, you're driving through a landscape shaped by ancient cultures and dramatic history. Long before Oklahoma was a state, this was a center for the Mississippian Culture. You're near the Spiro…
Spiro · 15.1 mi · Eohc
You're driving through Spiro, Oklahoma, a town whose very existence is thanks to a railroad. Back in the 1800s, the nearby town of Skullyville was the hub, serving as a Choctaw capital and a place where federal…
Fort Chaffee Maneuver Training Center · 15.1 mi · Scraped Hmdb
This unassuming landscape holds stories of war, displacement, and new beginnings. During World War II, Fort Chaffee, then Camp Chaffee, housed thousands of German and Italian prisoners of war. Later, in 1975, after the…
Fort Coffee (fort) · 15.1 mi · Eohc
You're driving through Le Flore County, not far from Spiro. Right here, you're passing the site of Fort Coffee. Established in 1834, its mission was twofold: protect the Choctaw people and stop illegal liquor from…
Sequoyah's Cabin · 15.4 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Imagine single-handedly inventing a way for your people to read and write. That's exactly what Sequoyah did right here near Akins, Oklahoma. Sequoyah, also known as George Gist, moved to this cabin around 1829. He…
Old Sebastian County Jail · 15.6 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Those thick stone walls tell a story! The Old Sebastian County Jail in Greenwood offers a glimpse into law and order in this part of Arkansas over a century ago. Built between 1889 and 1891 by master mason Ike Kunkel,…
Greenwood, AR · 16.5 mi
Greenwood, Arkansas, tucked into the rolling hills, is a place where small-town charm meets a surprising thread of notable figures. The town itself, named for the dense forests that once defined the landscape, rebuilt…
Natural Dam, AR · 18.1 mi · Local history
Natural Dam, Arkansas, has always been a place defined by its namesake. The natural rock bridge spanning the Mountain Fork River is a local landmark, drawing tourists and recreationists to the swimming holes and picnic…
Cameron · 18.4 mi · Eohc
You're driving through Le Flore County, past the town of Cameron. Ever wonder where this place got its name? Well, folks in the 1930s debated it! Some said it honored William Cameron, a mine inspector. Others, using…
James E. Reynolds House · 18.5 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Look to your right – can you believe there's a castle tucked away in Oklahoma? This is the James E. Reynolds House, a unique landmark built back in 1911. James E. Reynolds, who lived from 1837 to 1920, decided to build…
Redbird Smith Movement · 19.9 mi · Eohc
You're driving through Eastern Oklahoma, maybe near Blackgum Mountain in Sequoyah County. Right here, in the early 1900s, a Cherokee leader named Redbird Smith was fighting a cultural war. He saw the Dawes Act, forcing…

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