Fort Smith is the second largest city in Arkansas, and it's full of unique history. The fictional figure of Rooster Cogburn and the experiences of the heroine Mattie Ross from the book True Grit and the subsequent movie adaptations give great examples of this border town’s important place in Arkansas history—but there’s something even better waiting for you in modern-day Fort Smith. Namely, the gallows of the infamous Hanging Judge of the Old West, Judge Isaac C. Parker. They serve as a living memory of a time when the U.S. Marshals based in Fort Smith were responsible for bringing justice to the whole of the still-wild Indian Territory right across the Arkansas River.
Judge Parker sat on the bench at Fort Smith for 21 years, but the original gallows predated him by a few years. The gallows were the instrument of death for 86 people sentenced to hang for capital offenses.
The gallows that stand today are a reconstruction of the original gallows, but they’re a great way to experience the history of the rough-and-tumble border town of Fort Smith.
Set right near the visitor center at the Fort Smith National Historic Site, the gallows are surrounded by a white fence, which adds to their mystique.
The National Historic Site at Fort Smith does all it can to keep the memory of Fort Smith’s grimmest period alive.
The visitor center gives you an opportunity to learn all about the gallows and the judge who presided over them.
There you’ll find a period-appropriate imagining of the original jail and an authentic reconstruction of Judge Parker’s courtroom.
The grounds of the Fort Smith National Historic Site are beautiful and you'll find a gorgeous trail that leads you alongside the Arkansas River to the Riverfront Park Amphitheater.
You'll also find the foundations of the original fort.
These gallows are a great place to learn about one of the most interesting and grim pieces of Arkansas history.
To find more historic landmarks in Arkansas, try this list.
If you're interested in little-known historical stories from Arkansas, this article is an absolute must.
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