Thanks to all who responded to my request regarding Fort Smith, AR. It sounds like a great place I'd like to see someday. I have a picture of my great grandmother standing inside the walls of what I believe to be Fort Smith, but there is no date on the photo. There is, though, an old Ford (I think) in the background. It appears to be one of the old model T's. Here are some of the responses I received. And thank you again!!! Charlie From: angelears@alltel.net (Carolyn Smedley) To: CCCharlie1@aol.com ('CCCharlie1@aol.com') Charlie, the history of Fort Smith, Ar., Ok., and Texas were once as follows: We all know Texas became a state in 1845 so the first federal census was in 1850 right? Wrong. There was Miller County, Arkansas Territory enumerated in 1820 and again in 1830 which was within an area that is now part of North Eastern Texas. The 1820 census was taken for people living on both the north and south sides of the Red River, all within Texas and part of present day OKLAHOMA. The main settle ment there was Pecan Point. In 1828, Congress established the line between presnet day Arkansas and Oklahoma as the Eastern boundary of the Indian Territory. At that time any whitle settlers north of the Red River were removed to area south of the River. By the time of the 1830 census several thousand people were living just south of the Red River and completely within the present state of TEXAS, but they thought they were in Miller County, Arkansas Territory. It was not until 1841 that a new survey revealed the error and the treaty line bettween Texas and Louisiana and Texas and Arkansas was marked properly on the ground. The area of present day Miller County, Ar. has only a small 4 to 5 mile wide stripe of land that was int he orginal area of Old Miller Co. Texas also had a Greer Co. til OKLAHOMA took it away from them. It functioned as a county for ten years with representatives to Austin, but in 1890 the government refused to acknowledge Greer Co. thus putting Greer Co. in OKLAHOMA. For the perior 1886-1896 people living in Greer Co., Texas/Oklahoma may have left marks in both states. Also Fort Smith, Ar., Prior to 1800 the area had been inhabited by the Osage. After the lOuisiana Purchase in 1803, the land fell within the Missouri Territory and the federal government began to move Indian tribes, most notiably the Cherokk, from the east into the Arkansas River Valley. The colonization authorized by President Tomas Jefferson brought nearly 2,000 Cherokee from their homes in Georgia and Tenn. to Arkansas. William L. Lovely established a Cherokke sub-agency at Belle Pint, the picturesque bluff over-looking the Poteau and the Arkansas and monityored the infulux. The Osage and Cherokkee weren't the only tribes in Western Arkansas and what would become EASTERN OKLAHOMA. Parties of Comanche and Quapaw also used the area as their hunting grounds. But it was the Cherokee and the Osage who most frequently - and violently- clashed. By 1817 the intertribal unrest treatening to rturn into all out was, Acting Sec. of War Richard Graham authorized an army post at the point where the Osage Line and Ark. River met. The new Fort Smith was established finally in 1838. Note: Sorry, this is so long but I have tried to give you the info ;you needed, Charlie. P. S. Fort Smith is Sebastian County....Saline County is in South Arkansas near Hot Springs, Ar. Good luck, Carolyn From: LBCane To: CCCharlie1 according to a map in the book, "Trail of Tears", by John Ehle, Fort Smith is not part of Oklahoma, it is in Arkansas, also according to this map Indian Territory is in Oklahoma. If this is not correct let me know. LBCane@aol.com