First Fort Smith - Belle Point - Fort Smith National Historical Site

To me this location as well as the rest of the park is hallowed ground, so much has happened at this site, from the Trail of Tears, to the Civil War, and ending with Judge Isaac C. Parker's Courthouse. What a great a humbling experience this was for me. This photo here was the location of the first fort, and it overlooks the two rivers that was a staging area for the transfer of Native Americans into Oklahoma. As I photographed this, I had only black and white photos in mind, with the intention to draw the viewer in and make the connection with the area that I did.


The U.S. Army built a log-and-stone Fort Smith in 1817 because of a volatile feud between the Osage and Cherokee over land and resources. The first Fort Smith was abandoned in 1824; only its stone foundation remains. This location overlooks the area where the Poteau and Arkansas rivers join and then flows on as the Arkansas River. - N.P.S.

national parksarkansashistorichistoryfort smithbelle point