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

The Gallows

Fort Smith National Historic Site, Arkansas

— National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior —

The Gallows Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Denise Boose, July 13, 2012

1. The Gallows Marker

Inscription. With the largest criminal jurisdiction of any federal court at the time, the Western District of Arkansas handled an extraordinary number of murder and rape cases. When a jury found defendants guilty in these capital cases, federal law mandated the death penalty. In Fort Smith, that meant an execution by hanging on a “crude and unsightly” gallows.

A visitor to the city in 1893 recommended constructing a new gallows to evoke the “sacredness and majesty of the law.” This was never achieved and a year after the last execution, the city of Fort Smith destroyed the gallows structure.

“I do not desire to hang you men. It is the law.” Judge Isaac C. Parker

Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Government & Politics • Notable Places. A significant historical year for this entry is 1893.

Location. 35° 23.26′ N, 94° 25.807′ W. Marker is in Fort Smith, Arkansas, in Sebastian County. Marker is on Parker Avenue, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 301 Parker Avenue, 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. Executions at Fort Smith (here, next to this marker); Defending Freedom

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(within shouting distance of this marker); Fort Wall (within shouting distance of this marker); Confederates Occupy The Fort (within shouting distance of this marker); The Officer’s Quarters (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Meeting of Nations (about 300 feet away); Clues from the Past (about 300 feet away); Barracks, Courthouse, Jail (about 300 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Fort Smith.

Photographed By Denise Boose, July 13, 2012

2. The Gallows Marker

Photographed By Denise Boose, July 13, 2012

3. The Gallows Marker

Photographed By Denise Boose, July 13, 2012

4. The Gallows

Photographed By Denise Boose, July 13, 2012

5. The Gallows

Judge Isaac C. Parker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Denise Boose, July 13, 2012

6. Judge Isaac C. Parker

Judge Isaac C. Parker sentenced 160 people (four of whom were women) to hang, of these 79 men were hanged.

Photographed By Denise Boose, July 13, 2012

7. The Gallows

Photograph courtesy of the Fort Smith Museum of History image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Denise Boose, July 13, 2012

8. Photograph courtesy of the Fort Smith Museum of History

This sketch is the only known image of the gallows. It depicts the execution of Crawford Goldsby, alias Cherokee Bill, on March 17, 1896. Although cameras were prohibited at hangings, a young man captured the scene with a Kodak, which he quickly hid in his coat. The sketch was later taken from that photograph.

Credits. This page was last revised on June 12, 2020. It was originally submitted on September 2, 2012, by Denise Boose of Tehachapi, California. This page has been viewed 740 times since then and 47 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. submitted on September 2, 2012, by Denise Boose of Tehachapi, California. • Craig Swain was the editor who published this page.