Map of the Arkansas River showing — in its lower form — Fort Smith

Fort Smith was founded in 1817 as a military settlement to monitor the Indian Territory. The fort was abandoned in 1824, but a town founded by John Roger had formed next to the fort then. In 1838, the fort was reoccupied and expanded and in 1871 it was abandoned again. However, the people continued to thrive despite the absence of the strong.

Two of the most notable historical figures were Judge Isaac Parker and William Henry Harrison Clayton. In 1874, William Henry Harrison Clayton was appointed as United States Attorney for the Western Arkansas District by President Ulysses S. Grant. Fort Smith was a growing community full of brothels, bars and criminals. William Clayton knew that a strong judge would be necessary to bring law and order to the region and found a strong judge in Isaac Parker. However, there was one problem: Judge Parker had been appointed President of the Territory of Utah and confirmed by the Senate. With the help of President Grant and Senator Powell Clayton, former governor of Arkansas, William Clayton was able to undo the appointment and redirect Judge Parker to Fort Smith.

Judge Isaac Parker served as District Judge from 1875 to 1896. He was dubbed the "Judge of the Horch" because on his first appointment he tried 18 people for murder, convicting 15 of them, sentencing eight to die and hanging six of them on the same day. During his career at Fort Smith, Parker sentenced 160 people to hanging, 79 of whom were executed by hanging. Judge Parker represented the only true law in the border town during that time. His court is a National Historical Site today.

William Clayton was appointed as Prosecutor by four different presidents and later served as Chief Justice of the Indian Territory. He was a key element in achieving statehood for Oklahoma and, together with territorial Governor Frank Frantz, brought the Oklahoma Constitution to President Teddy Roosevelt. Both Governor Frantz and Judge Clayton lost their territorial possessions when Oklahoma was admitted to the Union.

Fort Smith is located at 35°22′7″N 94°23′55″W / 35.36861, -94.39861, west of the state, along the border with Oklahoma, on the lower course of the Arkansas River, affluent of the Mississippi River ... According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 137.1 km², of which 130.4 km² is land and 6.7 km² (4.98%) is water.

Fort Smith has a mild climate with mild winters and hot and humid summers. The average maximum temperature on winter days is about 10 °C, while in summer it is 32 °C. Fort Smith is located near the area known as the Tornado Corridor in the center of the United States. The city has been affected by three large tornadoes that occurred in 1898, 1927 and 1996.

Fort Smith has been a regional manufacturing center for a long time, with plants operated by Whirpool Corporation, Rheem, Trane, Georgia-Pacific, Gerber Products Company, Planters Peanuts, among others. In recent years, following the national path, the city has lost jobs in manufacturing because production lines are moving abroad.

Fort Smith is an important transport port for the surrounding area. It is located at the crossroads of two interstate motorways and is surrounded by the Arkansas River on three sides. There is also a regional airport.

Roads

The city is located just south-west of Interstate 40 and future Interstate 49 (now Interstate 540). U.S. Route 71 and U.S. Route 64 also pass through the community.

Air transport

Fort Smith is home to the Fort Smith Regional Airport. It is used for military aviation by Fort Chaffee and Flight Squad 188 of the Arkansas Area Guard. It is also used by three commercial airlines traveling to Dallas, Memphis and Atlanta.

Bus

Jefferson Lines connects the city with other communities like Little Rock, Kansas City and Oklahoma City. There are also services for intermediate points, with many connections to other cities and towns.

Rio

The city is located along the Arkansas River, part of the McClellan-Kerr Navigation System, and is served by the Port of Fort Smith.

Public transport

Within the city, a public bus service called Fort Smith Transit operates various routes. A trolleybus operates in the center of the city, providing transportation between the Belle Grove Historical District and the Fort Smith National Historic Site. Taxi service is offered by Razorback Cab.

By the 2000 census, there were 80,268 persons, 32,398 households and 20,637 families in the city. Population density was 615.5 per square kilometer. There were 35,341 housing units for an average density of 271.0 per square kilometer. Of the population, 76.99 per cent were white, 8.65 per cent were African-American, 1.69 per cent were Amerindian, 4.59 per cent were Asian (especially Vietnamese and Lao), 0.05 per cent were Pacific islanders, 5.03 per cent were other races and 2.99 per cent were two or more races. 8.78% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race. 7.10% reported speaking Spanish at home and 3.38% speak Vietnamese or Lao.

There were 32,398 households, of which 30.8 per cent had children under the age of 18, 47.1 per cent were married couples living together, 12.3 per cent had a woman as head of the home without a present husband and 36.3 per cent were non-family households. Out of 32,398 households, 1,388 were unmarried couples: 1,259 heterosexual couples, 84 male couples and 45 female couples. 30.7% of households were a single member and 10.9% had someone over 65 living alone. The average number of members per household was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.03.

In the city, the population is distributed with 25.4% under 18 years of age, 9.8% between 18 and 24, 29.3% between 25 and 44, 21.8% between 45 and 64 and 13.7% were 65 years or older. The average age was 35 years. For every 100 women, there were 94.1 males. For every 100 women over the age of 18, there were 91.0 males.

The median income for a home in the city was $32,157 and the median income for a family $41,012. Men had an average income of $29,799 against $22,276 for women. The city's per capita income was $18,994. About 12.1% of families and 15.8% of the population were below the poverty line, 22.2% of whom were under the age of 18 and 9.6% over the age of 65.

The city has one of the universities part of the University of Arkansas System. The University of Arkansas - Fort Smith was founded in 1928 as an extension of the Fort Smith Public School System, with the superintendent acting as the president of the university and the director of secondary school as the dean. Originally known as Fort Smith Junior College, the institution operated within the school system of Fort Smith until 1950, when the school was incorporated as a private, non-profit institution with its own administrative board. In September 1952, the university was moved from its secondary school facility to its current 15-acre location.

During this period, student enrollment increased, as well as the number of courses offered, faculty members and facilities. A technical-vocational division was added in 1960. The institution began to develop the programs and character of a comprehensive university community, a new concept in Arkansas and the United States.

Public schools in Fort Smith are operated by the Fort Smith Special School District. The district currently includes 26 schools. For the 2007-2008 school year, the district had 13,900 students. Fort Smith's public schools provide education from preschool to Grade 12, as do several Protestant private schools. Catholic parish schools offer education up to the ninth year. Fort Smith's public high schools include Northside High School and Southside High School. Among the private ones is Union Christian Academy.

Notable figures who were born, lived or are associated with Fort Smith.

Athletes

• Ron Brewer, former basketball player.
• Former basketball player Bryant Reeves.
• Brian Martin, former basketball player.
• Matt Jones, professional American football player.
• Priest Holmes, American football player. It holds the NFL record for the most touchdowns in a season.

Actors, musicians and writers

• Rudy Ray Moore, singer and film actor.
• Laurence Luckinbill, actor of TV, film and theater.
• Katharine Alexander (1898-1981), film actress.
• Jerry Keller, singer.
• Thyra Samter Winslow, writer.

Historical figures

• William Orlando Darby, World War II general and hero.
• Carolyn Pollan, a former member of the Arkansas House of Representatives, the Republican Party member and woman who has served most in that house.
• Isaac Parker, known as the "Judge of the Horn."
• Clifton R. Breckinridge (1846-1932), a Democratic councilor and congressman, diplomat, businessman and veteran of the Confederate Army.
• Benjamin Bonneville (1796-1878), browser.