November 22, 1878

Elias Rector, former U.S. marshal for the Territory of Arkansas and superintendent of Indian Affairs, died on November 22, 1878, in Fort Smith (Sebastian County). Rector was appointed marshal by President Andrew Jackson in 1831. He had a sixteen-year tenure as marshal, transcending political divisions and serving under four presidencies. Rector became the superintendent of Indian Affairs in 1857 and retired in 1861 at the beginning of the Civil War.