Fort Smith in Sebastian County, Arkansas — The American South (West South Central)

Former Site of The Fort Smith Biscuit Company Est. 1903

Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, October 15, 2023

1. Former Site of The Fort Smith Biscuit Company Est. 1903 Marker

Inscription. The Fort Smith Biscuit Co began production in Fort Smith, Arkansas at the southeast corner of 5th Street and Parker Avenue in 1903. In 1934 the company constructed a production facility on this site that was connected to the other facility via a sky-bridge over 5th Street. The company's story illustrates Fort Smith's historic role as a gateway to the West and the railroads' importance in our country's western expansion.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1903.

Location. 35° 23.17′ N, 94° 25.686′ W. Marker is in Fort Smith, Arkansas, in Sebastian County. Marker is at the intersection of Parker Avenue and South 5th Street, on the left when traveling west on Parker Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 412 Parker Ave, Fort Smith AR 72901, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Trail of Tears (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Vietnam War Memorial (about 500 feet away); Moon Tree (about 500 feet away); Sebastian County Seat of Justice (about 500 feet away); First Butterfield Overland Mail Coach (about 600 feet away); Our Confederate Dead (about 600 feet away); The Commissary Storehouse

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(about 600 feet away); Missouri Kansas and Texas 100162 Diner Bunk Car (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Fort Smith.

Regarding Former Site of The Fort Smith Biscuit Company Est. 1903. The company was founded in Winchester, Ind. by Christian Henry “C.H.” Wortz, Sr. (1863-1936) in 1880. He was on his was to Dallas to search for a new factory site in 1902 when he stopped for lunch in Fort Smith, where local officials persuaded him to build there instead. The Fort Smith Biscuit Company facility, at 201 5th Street, made crackers and biscuits. The company changed its name to Worth Biscuit Company and made plans to expand its factory, but the expansion was delayed until 1934 because of the stock market crash and the Great Depression. By then, Wortz's son C.H. “Carl” Wortz, Jr. was in charge of the company, a position he held until turning it over to his son C.H. Wortz III in 1962. A group of Fort Smith businessmen bought the company from the Wortz family in 1972, and closed the Fort Smith facility and moved production to Poteau, Okla. in the 1980s. Ralcorp Holdings, a private-label food manufacturer based in St. Louis, acquired Wortz Co. in 1997 and folded it into its Bremner Food Group unit.

Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, October 15, 2023

2. Former Site of The Fort Smith Biscuit Company Est. 1903 Marker

Bremner closed the Oklahoma plant in 2012.

Credits. This page was last revised on November 26, 2023. It was originally submitted on November 26, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 109 times since then and 63 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 26, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.