Fort Smith, Arkansas

Fort Smith, situated at the junction of the Arkansas and Poteau rivers, is a city and one of the two county seats of Sebastian County, Arkansas. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 80,268. There are only two high schools in the city of Fort Smith (leading to quite a rivalry), Northside High School (the Grizzlies) and Southside High School (the Rebels).

History

Fort Smith was founded in 1817 as a military settlement to patrol the neighboring Indian Territory. The Fort was abandoned in 1824 but a town founded by John Rogers had formed alongside the Fort by that time. In 1838 the Fort was re-occupied and expanded. In 1871 the Fort was again abandoned. The town continued to thrive despite the absence of the Fort, however.

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