History of Fort Smith Told Through Postcards

Nov. 26, 2012 - PRLog -- The newest addition to Arcadia Publishing’s Postcard History series is Fort Smith from local author Kevin L. Jones. The book boasts more than 200 vintage images and postcard memories of days gone by.

History is alive in Fort Smith. Many unique events occurred along historic Garrison Avenue and nearby neighborhoods from 1817 to the present. From the US military influence beginning in 1817, and Judge Isaac C. Parker’s “Hell on the Border” jail, to the numerous businesses along the Avenue since the 1800s, this postcard history of Fort Smith connects the past and the present.

Furthermore, it shows the history of urban sprawl, local churches, hospitals, and cultural centers throughout Fort Smith. The city serves as a military training ground, crossroads of river transportation, a hub of rail activity and highways, and as an economic catalyst for growth. Fort Smith celebrates its past as it looks toward the future.

Highlights of Fort Smith:
•   The postcards in the book were provided by private collectors, libraries, and historic museums.
•   Many of the buildings shown in these images have been destroyed by natural disasters, fires, or lost to time.  
•   The book is full of “little known facts” about the history, people, and places of Fort Smith.

Kevin L. Jones, PhD, a native of Nixa, Missouri, earned a bachelor’s degree in education, a master’s degree from Missouri State University, and a PhD from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. Dr. Jones is an assistant professor of English education at the University of Arkansas, Fort Smith.

Available at area bookstores, independent retailers, and online retailers, or through Arcadia Publishing at www.arcadiapublishing.com or
(888)-313-2665.  

Arcadia Publishing is the leading publisher of local and regional history in the United States.  Our mission is to make history accessible and meaningful through the publication of books on the heritage of America’s people and places.  Have we done a book on your town?  Visit www.arcadiapublishing.com.