September 16, 2012

In November 1817, the first American troops arrived at Belle Point and began building the first structures that would become Fort Smith (Sebastian County). The principal purpose of the fort was to keep the peace between the Osage and Cherokee tribes that had entered the area. The army abandoned the fort in 1824 but by 1836, it had returned and begun building the second Fort Smith military post, which is depicted in this 1836 drawing.