U.S. Marshals Museum

The U.S. Marshals Service, the nation’s oldest law enforcement agency, was established in 1789 by President George Washington when he signed the Judiciary Act into law. A Smithsonian exhibit about the U.S. Marshals Service, “America’s Traveling Star,” was displayed at locations throughout the United States and then housed in Laramie, Wyoming, from 1991 until 2002. After the museum in Laramie closed, the Marshals Service began an active search for a new museum site. Several cities indicated interest in the new museum, including Fort Smith (Sebastian County).

Community leaders in Fort Smith felt that the city was a logical choice for the museum because of Fort Smith’s western heritage, the presence of Judge Isaac Parker’s court, the work of early intrepid marshals such as Bass Reeves, its location near the former Indian Territory, and the presence in the area of descendants of former marshals. A steering committee was formed and charged with the work of actively seeking the museum.

A selection committee from the U.S. Marshals Service visited several cities vying for the new museum. In their visit to Fort Smith, representatives from the U.S. Marshals Service met with local citizens and Fort Smith officials. They visited historic sites, such as the Oak Cemetery and Fort Smith National Cemetery, and heard comments from descendants of marshals. Members of the selection committee were also entertained at a country music event and at a barbeque attended by more than 800 people in a display of local support.

Following this visit, members of the local museum steering committee from Fort Smith traveled to Washington DC in June 2006 to make a presentation using the theme, “Bring It Home.” John Clark, then director of the U.S. Marshals Service, notified city officials that Fort Smith had been selected as the location for the new museum, and an official announcement was made on January 4, 2007.

After the selection of Fort Smith for the museum location, officials from the U.S. Marshals Service, along with U.S. Marshals Service historian David Turk, met with local officials. A museum board and committees were formed to undertake the many tasks of fundraising, site selection, choosing an architectural design, planning for exhibits, publicity and outreach, and strategic planning. Major gifts were made by individual donors, foundations, and other sources. The Westphal family of Fort Smith donated land for the museum at a site along the Arkansas River. Polk Stanley Wilcox Architects and Cambridge Seven Associates submitted the winning design, featuring a museum in the shape of the iconic star of a U.S. Marshal’s badge.

The years from museum site selection until project completion posed constant challenges. These included further evaluation of the museum site and preparation, right-of-way easements negotiated with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and design modifications made in order to save money. CDI Contractors was chosen as construction manager. A cornerstone dedication was held in 2013. The official groundbreaking for the museum was held on September 24, 2014. In September 2019, the 230th anniversary of the founding of the U.S. Marshals Service, officials dedicated the Mary Carleton and Robert A. Young III Building and the Sam M. Sicard Hall of Honor.

Announcements about a projected opening of the museum were made on several occasions, but in each case the opening date had to be delayed. By 2022, however, the opening of the museum appeared to be imminent. After the resignation of the museum’s longtime CEO due to legal problems, a new CEO was hired. In addition, the Thinkwell Group was completing work on the following museum exhibits:

• “To Be a Marshal”—stories about the history and roles of the U.S. Marshals Service
• “Campfire: Stories Under the Stars”—stories told by four marshals who sit around a campfire and talk about their work
• “Frontier Marshals”—replicas of a saloon in a frontier town and a marshal’s office and the story of Bass Reeves, a Black deputy U.S. Marshal
• “A Changing Nation”—a design space incorporating tall pillars representing the duty of marshals to uphold the law at all times
• “Modern Marshals”—a showcase of technology used in the work of marshals

Additional space for educational programming was included in the museum’s National Learning Center. The Samuel M. Sicard Hall of Honor profiles marshals, deputies, and special deputies who have died in the service of their country.

The U.S. Marshals Museum opened on July 1, 2023. On the grounds of the museum is The Lighthorseman, a striking thirteen-foot-tall bronze statue given by the Five Civilized Tribes of Oklahoma to commemorate the Native American lawmen who worked with the marshals in Indian Territory.

For additional information:
Saccente, Thomas. “U.S. Marshals Museum Nears Opening.” Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, June 26, 2023, pp. 1A, 11A. Online at https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2023/jun/25/us-nwmarshals-museum-river-valley-talk-museums-july/ (accessed November 21, 2023).

Schnedler, Jack. “Creativity, Flexibility, Humanity.” Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, July 17, 2023, pp. 1E, 4E. Online at https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2023/jul/16/newly-opened-us-marshals-museum-tells-the-stories/ (accessed November 21, 2023).

———. “On the Horizon.” Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, January 24, 2023, pp. 1E, 6E. Online at https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2023/jan/24/on-the-horizon/ (accessed November 21, 2023).

Tilley, Michael. “Marshals Museum to Open July 1.” Talk Business and Politics, April 25,2023. https://talkbusiness.net/2023/04/u-s-marshals-museum-to-open-july-1/ (accessed November 21, 2023).

Turk, Davis S. “Infrastructure of a New U.S. Marshals Museum.” The Federalist: Newsletter of the Society for History in the Federal Government No. 26 (Summer 2010): 1, 3. https://repository.si.edu/bitstream/handle/10088/18605/sia_26-Summer10-Federalist-web1.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y (accessed November 21, 2023).

United States Marshals Museum. https://usmmuseum.org/ (accessed November 21, 2023).

Wasson, Lynn. “US Marshals Museum Pushes Ahead.” Entertainment Fort Smith, November 1, 2020. https://www.efortsmith.com/about?view=article&id=98:us-marshals-museum-pushes-ahead&catid=2 (accessed November 21, 2023).

Carolyn Filippelli
Fort Smith, Arkansas