The story of the Court of the Western District of Arkansas, better known as the court of "Hanging Judge" Isaac Parker, and to outlaws as "Hell On The Border"

The Old Fort Smith Courthouse and Jail

Original courthouse 1871-1888 a former barracks located in the center of the fort 

Hell On The Border

From 1865 until 1871 the Court of the Western District of Arkansas was seated in Van Buren.  In 1871 it was moved to Fort Smith.  By that time the old fort had been abandoned by the army and the new court moved into the old barracks (shown at left) in 1872.  This was the building that Judge Parker found when he came to Fort Smith in 1875.  On the east end of the building was the courtroom. On the west end were offices for clerks, the U.S. Marshal and U.S. Commissioner.  An attic was used for storage and in the basement was the jail.  In 1887 conditions in the old building were so deplorable that Congress finally appropriated money needed to improve the court.  A second story was added to the original building and a new jail wing was built on the west end, giving the building the look it has today (see below).  The basement jail was turned into a storage area and prisoners were moved to the new jail wing.
Judge Parker's courtroom restored to how it appeared in the 1870's and 1880's.  The court moved to a new, much larger building downtown Fort Smith in 1890. However, the jail and gallows were in use until the end of Parker's term as judge. The jail was used as a federal prison until 1917.

Conditions in the old basement jail beneath the court were so bad that it was soon called "Hell on the Border." Many have assumed that the title applied to the town of Fort Smith, but it was the jail and courthouse that earned the label. The old jail was an open area with a six foot ceiling.  The only toilet facilities were buckets set in the corners of the room.  In the center was a large barrel cut in half that served as the jail's only bath tub.  The two pictures below gives you an idea of the conditions in this hell house. There was little light or ventilation and in the summer the heat was unbearable.  The odor permeated even the courtroom immediately above the jail. 


The expanded courthouse with new jail wing. The courtroom was used from 1888-1896. The wall in the left foreground is a reconstruction of part of the original fortress wall
(U.S. National Historic Site)


Entrance to the old jail under the courthouse steps



All detainees except women were held in this stink hole. The petty thief shared his misery with the worst of murderers and rapists.  The old jail is preserved today at the Fort Smith National Historic Site, although it smells much better and looks much cleaner.  One of the rangers at the site once told me that there are discussions about giving it back much of its old look so people can get a real idea of what Hell on the Border was really like. I thing that is a good idea, but let's hope they do not attempt to recreate the original smells.


Old jail in the basement of the first courthouse


Reconstruction cut-away of the cell block in the "new" Federal Jail
Fort Smith National Historic Site. The cells were surrounded by an iron cage (extreme right) that enclosed the entire block (cut-away in the restored version of the jail to visitors give a better view and access to the cells).
In 1890 the court moved down the street to a new Federal Courthouse building but the new jail continued to be used to house prisoners.  This jail wing can be seen on the right in the picture taken in the 1930's.  Inside the building were three tiers of eight cells each.  Each cell was designed to hold two men.  The cells were enclosed in a cage of steel called the "bullpen."  The cage has been restored only partially to give visitors a beter view of the cells.   A narrow walkway surrounded the "bullpen" for the guards to patrol the cell block.  Today this jail has been restored in such a way as to give visitors an idea of the layout and size of the "new" federal jail in Fort Smith. 

Reconstruction cut-away of the three story cells in the "new" Federal Jail


The courthouse and jail ca.1930 when it was used by a welfare society

The jail served as a federal prison until 1917.  After that time it was used for a variety of purposes.  When the picture above left was taken in the 1930's it housed the Fort Smith Federated Welfare Association.  It was also used for a time as a warehouse.  The city took it over and operated it as a museum for Parker's court until it was designated a National Historic Site.  Today it is operated by the National Park Service.  It had undergone extensive renovation, due partly to the tornado that struck Fort Smith in 1996, but mostly due to its historical significance.  It is now open to the public and it is a destination for tourist, and not just a local landmark.

Ronald N. Wall
Copyright © Aug. 2000. All rights reserved.
Revised: August 22, 2004