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Making America's Best Idea Even Better
Fort Smith National Historic Sitesidewalk path along Arkansas River
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Fort Smith National Historic Site
June 30, 1891 Execution
noose
Boudinot Crumpton was executed on the Fort Smith gallows on June 30, 1891.  A jury found him guilty of having shot and killed his traveling companion.  Crumpton asserted his innocence up until his execution. His final statement on the gallows is a poignant example of the role alcohol played on the frontier.  He warned those at the gallows, “To all present, and especially young men; when you are about to drink a glass of whiskey, look closely in the bottom and see if you cannot observe therein a hangman’s noose.  There is where I first saw the one which now breaks my neck.”
Trail of Tears Routes  

Did You Know?
The Choctaw, Chickasaw, Cherokee, (Muscogee) Creek and Seminole Indian tribes were forcibly moved to Indian Territory on what became known as the Trail of Tears. The Arkansas River served as a water route to Fort Smith where they received supplies before crossing the river into Indian Territory.

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Last Updated: June 16, 2007 at 21:05 EST