Fort Smith in Sebastian County, Arkansas — The American South (West South Central)
Miss Laura's
River Front Hotel
| | 123 North First Street | |
Photographed by Denise Boose, July 13, 2012
1. Miss Laura's Marker
has been placed on the
National Register
of Historic Places
by the United States
Department of the Interior
Erected by Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, Department of Arkansas Heritage.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Women.
Location. 35° 23.522′ N, 94° 25.744′ W. Marker is in Fort Smith, Arkansas, in Sebastian County. It is on North B Street, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2 North B Street, Fort Smith AR 72901, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Arkansas River Valley, in the Cherokee Heritage Region, and in Osage Territory. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, the Louisiana Purchase, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: North 2nd Street in 1860 (approx. 0.2 miles away); Frisco Train Depot (approx. 0.2 miles away); A Building Worth Saving (approx. 0.2 miles away); Bass Reeves - Lawman on the Western Frontier (approx. 0.2 miles away); Old Commissary (approx. 0.2 miles away); Explorando Fort Smith / Exploring Fort Smith (approx. 0.2 miles away); Desperate For Survival (approx. 0.2 miles away); Deputy U.S. Marshal Bass Reeves (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Fort Smith.
Also see . . .
1. Commercial Hotel (Fort Smith, Arkansas). Wikipedia entry:
Links to National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form (Submitted on February 1, 2026, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
2. Miss Laura's Social Club. The former Miss Lauras Social Club, a house of prostitution, serves as a unique visitor center for Fort Smith (Sebastian County) and is a reminder of the towns rich history. Located at 123 First Street, it is the only bordello listed on the National Register of Historic Places. (Submitted on July 28, 2012, by Denise Boose of Tehachapi, California.)
Additional keywords. prostitution,
Photographed by Denise Boose, July 13, 2012
2. The Commercial Hotel
Photographed by Denise Boose, July 13, 2012
3. Miss Laura's Marker to the left of the main door.
Photographed by Denise Boose, July 13, 2012
4. Miss Laura's Social Club
Photographed by Denise Boose, July 13, 2012
5. Abandon 1963
It was left to Jules Bartholemy after Big Bertha's Death in 1948.
Photographed by Denise Boose, July 13, 2012
6. Big Bertha
Miss Laura Ziegler sold the house to Bertha Gale Dean known as “Big Bertha” in 1911 for $47,000. She ran it as a boarding establishment so the story goes.
Photographed by Denise Boose, July 13, 2012
7. Clever Currency Offers Unique Exchange Rate.
Always keeping her keen business eye open, Miss Laura probably perpetuated a traditional custom of turn of the century brothels. Legend has it that Miss Laura gave her better, more frequent customers special favor tokens which they could later redeem with the girls. The ladies of the house sometimes tapped tokens on their bedrooms windows to attract the attention of customers outside.
Photographed by Denise Boose, July 13, 2012
8. Miss Laura's
Photographed by Denise Boose, July 13, 2012
9. Miss Laura's
Photographed by Denise Boose, July 13, 2012
10. Miss Laura's beautiful stain glass window
Credits. This page was last revised on March 15, 2026. It was originally submitted on July 28, 2012, by Denise Boose of Tehachapi, California. This page has been viewed 21,763 times since then and 45 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. submitted on July 28, 2012, by Denise Boose of Tehachapi, California. • Craig Swain was the editor who published this page.
