Fort Smith Museum of History

 The exhibits in this museum are a little disjointed. The first floor follows a timeline of the city's history to some degree so make sure that you go in the direction that the green arrows point. One room is dedicated to an Arkansas man, William Orlando Darby, who is credited with founding the US Army Rangers. There's also a completely reconstructed drug store with a working soda fountain. One of the staff will serve you whatever you wish.

The second floor has exhibits about Judge Parker, local industries, broadcasting history, and early hand tools for woodworking. There are two unusual items that we couldn't figure out. One is an early photocopier, the other is a mechanical television. Anyone have a clue about how either of these work?

The museum is accessible with a ramp on the northeast side of the building and a button to push for access. An elevator accesses the second floor.

We parked in the long spaces at Fort Smith NHS. The sidewalks and curb cuts are in fair condition. Use care when crossing the train tracks. Museum  35.38808, -94.42854

Choctaw Casino Pocola

The oversized vehicle lot is located on the east side of the casino next to the main lot for cars. There's no need to check in and we didn't see a posted time limit. Trucks share this lot but we managed to situate ourselves out of the noise zone.

The oversized lot is up a level so there are steps that go down a short hill. Wheelchair users will need to go to either end of the lot and use the access roads to get down the hill. A shuttle makes regular rounds in the evenings. I don't know if it's accessible. The chairs are heavy but the money and card slots are easy to reach. Casino  35.29024, -94.43354

 

Ben Geren Bike Trail

Ben Geren Trail is paved, smooth, and makes a 5 mile loop.  We parked in the lot off of Golf Course Loop road and went south because it looked shadier. Trees and bushes provide some screening from the communities that it passes through but they're not tall enough to provide a lot of shade. 

I  should have checked the elevation map before starting out. The trail goes up hill for about a mile with some 10% grades. That's tough in a wheelchair even with an energetic helper. The trail going north from the parking lot is almost flat for the first mile then it goes uphill too. The middle section looks like it's rolling but we'll never find out because we turned around  when got to the top of the first hill at the 1 mile mark. :D

The parking lot is large enough for any vehicle. Trail  35.31257, -94.35368

Fort Smith National Historic Site

 Almost eighty years of history are covered by the museum exhibits and the interpretive signs located on the grounds. The first fort was built in 1817 to keep peace between the local Osage and the Cherokees who had migrated west as settlers moved into their homelands. This hard to defend location, just a few hundred feet from the Arkansas River, was abandoned in 1824 when a fort was built further west. 

In 1838 a second fort was built slightly east of the first fort. The fort was on the border between Arkansas and Oklahoma which had been designated Indian Territory by the federal government. Dozens of tribes were forced to move from their homelands to the plains of Oklahoma. The fort was never needed for defense and became a supply post for the Native Americans and the forts located further west. It was captured and occupied by the Union forces during the Civil War. 

 At the end of the Civil War the fort became a US Federal Court with Judge Parker in charge. In 1872 the basement of the old enlisted men's barracks was converted to a jail. This proved to be too small and a new jail was built onto south side of the barracks.

Parker became known as the Hanging Judge because he sentenced more than 70 men to death after they were found guilty of rape or murder.  He didn't believe in capital punishment and lobbied against it but he didn't have a choice because federal law decreed death sentences for those crimes. The court was busy because they ruled on crimes committed in the town of Fort Smith, all of western Arkansas, and also Oklahoma. The Indian police couldn't arrest or convict US citizens so many criminals thinking they would be safe escaped across the border where they preyed on the Native Americans. Over two hundred deputy marshals worked with Indian police to capture the criminals.

It takes at least three hours to see the entire site. It's much more interesting than any of the other fort we've visited from this time period. We started at the loop trail for the first fort. There are a few foundation ruins and interpretive signs along the trail.

Another trail circles the grounds of the second fort with more interpretive signs and stops at the Commissary building and reconstructed gallows.

The museum is located in the barracks/courthouse/jail building. The lower level where the entrance is located goes directly into the basement jail which is very dismal looking.  

The upper floor is full of information on the entire history of the fort and the criminals that came before Judge Parker.

 

Most of the site is accessible. Wheelchair users may need assistance on the trail at the first fort because it has some steep hills.It also crosses railroad tracks where small wheels could get stuck. The trail on the grounds of the second fort is accessible. The museum is all accessible. There's even a special chair to get down the stairs if the elevator is not working. We'd never seen anything like this before and I was tempted to take it out of the locker to see how it worked but instead I just took a peek at it. Here's the website. Evac Chair It has tractor like treads and looks a little scary in use. 

 

The parking lot has four long RV/bus spaces. Fort  35.38706, -94.43078

 

Historic Washington State Park

Washington, Arkansas, founded in 1824, became an important stop on the way west. Native Americans passed through on their way to Oklahoma; James Bowie, Sam Houston, and Davy Crockett passed through on their way to Texas. It was the Confederate capitol of Arkansas from 1863-1865 after the Union Army captured Little Rock. When the railroad was completed to Little Rock in 1873, Washington began a slow decline, losing population every year. Now fewer than 100 people live there. 

 In 1958 a preservation group began buying and restoring buildings and the Washington Historic Park  opened in 1973. Many of the buildings are part of the park but I don't know how many are actually opened to tour. The interiors of the buildings can be seen by guided tour only but the town can be toured on your own. Ask for a self-guided walking tour leaflet. Along the historic buildings listed in the leaflet there are also six large trees with historic significance. The 1874 courthouse is a visitor center and has exhibits on the history of the area. The visitor center, located in the 1824 courthouse, is free and the tours have a fee. The blacksmith's shop is always free but there may not be a working blacksmith every day. 

 

 

The visitor center has a ramp in the rear. The doorway into the safe is too narrow for wheelchair access. There's a high threshold between the hallway and entry vestibule. A step between rooms can be avoided by using a different route. An elevator provides access to the second floor.

 

 We were offered a tour featuring four buildings with ramps - the weapons museum, print museum, a merchant's house, and a farmstead. Since we weren't interested in the weapon or print museums we decided to do the self-guided tour instead. Wheelchair users may need assistance due to the terrain and gravel road surfaces. Sidewalks are either in poor condition or do not exist but there's little traffic so walking/rolling in the streets is fine. There is traffic on US 278 which must be crossed to see most of the town. Traffic does not stop for pedestrians so use caution when crossing.

 

 Accessible parking for the visitor center is in the rear. The lot is not large and has only one entrance/exit which may make it difficult for large vehicle. We parked in the loop road next door at the WPA gym. Another option is to park in the regular lot in front of the visitor center and walk/roll to the accessible entrance in the rear. Park  33.77354, -93.6842

William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace Home NHP

 Bill Clinton's father was killed three months before he was born. When his mother, Virginia, went to work in New Orleans as a nurse, Bill stayed in Hope, Arkansas with his grandmother and grandfather. The first four years of his life were spent in Hope and even after his mother married again and the family moved to Hot Springs he still spent vacations and holidays with his grandparents. The friends that he made there became lifelong. 

The visitor center has a very, very small exhibit. 

The house is adjacent to the visitor center. The neighborhood has become a business district and Clinton's birthplace is the only house left so you have to image it as a small town with kids running through the backyards. The house can be visited by guided tour. The ranger who conducted out tour was very knowledgeable. 

The visitor center is accessible. A paved walkway leads to a ramp that accesses the house. The first floor is accessible and photos of the second floor bedrooms are available. 

RVs will fit in the lot if parked through or across the spaces. Birthplace   33.66733, -93.59575