Fort Smith, AR
Fort Smith, AR is located along the Arkansas River. In 1817 Major Stephen H. Long selected the site at the confluence of the Arkansas and Poteau Rivers as the location of the region's first fort and named it after Gen. Thomas Smith. When natural gas was discovered in a nearby area, a large and diverse manufacturing industry developed and Ft. Smith remains one of Arkansas's leading manufacturing towns today.
Today we return to Miss Laura's Visitor Center to take the guided tour of the former bordello. It is a beautifully restored three floor house located just feet from the railroad tracks and off the waterfront.and contains period pieces only two of which are original to the house. It has had numerous lives over the years and was selected in 1973 for the National Register of Historic Places. Today the house sits a few feet south of its original location as the result of a tornado that moved the entire building.
In 1903 Laura Ziegler bought the River Front Hotel and opened a brothel with money she borrowed from a respectable local banker and was able to repay him within 17 months. In 1910 times had changed and the community wanted to rid itself of the permissiveness that existed. A freak fire burned all the other brothels but Miss Laura's and the incident became known as "the night of the lingerie parade" as the ladies and their customers fled the houses. Miss Laura sold the house in 1911 and disappeared from town.
Entry Hall
We stop at a couple of antique stores and take some pictures of the old historic downtown
before stopping at the Fort Smith National Historic Site which is the remains of two military posts which were built to keep peace on the frontier. In the 19th century, Fort Smith was the major point of departure for pioneers, peacekeepers and outlaws via horse, steamboat and rail.
This US Marshall Mural picture is for you, Kent. Unfortunately, the Museum is still struggling to get started but thought you might enjoy this picture.
The Fort Smith Museum of History is in an old building and is a chronological history of the city with some well displayed and explained artifacts. We also found a Trolley Museum and this old church with just the very front of it remaining. Interesting. Not sure why it was left and not totally torn down.
In addition, there were some beautiful old homes.
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
Van Buren, AR
It is raining like mad, but we decide to drive north of Fort Smith to take in the town of Van Buren where everyone has been telling us there are numerous antique stores on the main street. We found only one "antique store" and decided that people here consider antique stores to be old buildings which have been restored and not stores selling antiques. People here have also told us that the six block historic restored downtown was covered with dirt and used in the movie called "The Blue and Gray". It includes old fashioned lamps and period storefronts. Van Buren was settled 1818 and was a steamboat landing, stage stop for the Butterfield Line from St. Louis to California, a main artery for commerce and the border between the Cherokee and Choctaw tribes.
After a short drive around, we park the car and walk in the drizzle along the streets taking in the buildings.
One of the buildings which is so interesting in looks is this old bank building called the Crawford County Bank which was listed as the epitome of Victorian elegance when it opened in 1889. Entering in, we are greeted by the owner who is in the process of turning the building into a museum. She gave us some history, told us she heard it had marble walls at one time and invited us to to enter the old safe. She is in the process of collecting pictures and other artifacts to make this old building interesting.
In addition, we found this old school house,
an Anheuser- Busch store,
the King Opera House built in 1891
and other old buildings including another bank (notice the date).
Not a great deal to see but we always find something interesting. There were a couple of places with wall murals with pictures of the community, but unfortunately they were in poor condition and not worth photographing.
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