Fort Smith, Fort Smith, Arkansas

Fort Smith in the U.S. state of Arkansas is a town that was built around, well, a fort.  It was actually the site of two forts at the same location.  The forts were situated on the Arkansas River across from the U.S. state of Oklahoma.  The fort was a built on what was the frontier at the time.  Today, it is owned by the National Park Service. Much of the walls are gone, but you can visit what was once the barracks, jail, and courthouse, all in one building.  You can see a replica of a gallows as numerous hangings took place here.  If you are ever in Fort Smith, Arkansas, Fort Smith is a must see.

Some of you are saying, “This is nice that they were able to preserve the site, but since the site has nothing to do with the railroad, you will not see me here.”

It was the site of two forts.  It is also the site of an old train station.

Although the old Frisco Depot at Fort Smith has no history with the fort itself, it is a part of the national park.  It was built by the Saint Louis-San Francisco Railway (Frisco for short) in the early 1900’s.  It saw passenger service until the 1960’s.  Today, the trains only pass by with the exception of the Arkansas and Missouri Railroad that has excursions here.  The depot is currently not open to the public, but you can get a glimpse of what it was like when it was a passenger station.

The Old Frisco Train Depot is located at the Fort Smith National Historic Site at 301 Parker Avenue in Fort Smith, Arkansas.  It is just off U.S. Route 64 and Arkansas Route 255.  The park grounds are open from Sunrise to sunset and are wheelchair accessible.