• Rifle Regiment arriving at Belle Point, 1817. Artwork by Michael Haynes

    Fort Smith

    National Historic Site AR,OK

Courtroom Sketch

large drawing comprised of sketches of individuals in Fort Smith courtroom in 1889
Fort Smith Courtroom Sketch,1889
Collection of FOSM
 

Courtroom Sketch, 1889

This drawing is actually a composite of several sketches, each showing an individual present in the Fort Smith courtroom. The only figure identified by name is Judge Parker. The image identified as "U.S. Marshal" is that of John Carroll. We have no photographs taken in the courtroom, so this sketch provides a rare glimpse into the operation of the federal court in 1889.

Click here to view a larger image of the sketch.

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Did You Know?

Interior of jail cell with box for prisoners to visit with their lawyers

The conditions at the federal jail at Fort Smith were so horrible that it received the nickname "Hell on the Border."  Up to 50 men were crowded into one large cell with limited ventilation and poor sanitary conditions.