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, making it the state's second most populous city behind Little Rock. 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). The University of Arkansas at Fort Smith is the city's only institution of higher learning.

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. However, the town continued to thrive despite the absence of the Fort.

Geography

Fort Smith is located at (35.368691, -94.398737).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 137.1 km² (52.9 mi²). 130.4 km² (50.3 mi²) of it is land and 6.7 km² (2.6 mi²) of it (4.89%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 80,268 people, 32,398 households, and 20,637 families residing in the city. The population density was 615.5/km² (1,594.2/mi²). There were 35,341 housing units at an average density of 271.0/km² (701.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 76.99% White, 8.65% Black or African American, 1.69% Native American, 4.59% Asian(predominantly Vietnamese), 0.05% Pacific Islander, 5.03% from other races, and 2.99% from two or more races. 8.78% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 32,398 households, of which 30.8% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.1% were married couples living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.3% are classified as non-families by the United States Census Bureau. Of 32,398 households, 1,388 are unmarried partner households: 1,259 heterosexual, 84 same-sex male, and 45 same-sex female households. (Note: Stigmatization of homosexuality may prevent same-sex couples from reporting themselves as such on the US Census.) 30.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.03.

In the city the population was spread out with 25.4% under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 94.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $32,157, and the median income for a family was $41,012. Males had a median income of $29,799 versus $22,276 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,994. About 12.1% of families and 15.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.2% of those under age 18 and 9.6% of those age 65 or over.

Other information

The University of Arkansas, Fort Smith Campus.
Fort Smith Regional Airport, having the F.A.A. designation of F.S.M.
The historic downtown suffered major damage due to a tornado on April 21, 1996. Reconstruction went on over a span of five years (and in some cases, longer).
During its days as a fort, Zachary Taylor was commander for a brief time.
Fort Smith's Riverfront Hotel, popularly named "Miss Laura's" as the local brothel, became the city's Visitors Center in 1992. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, reportedly the only brothel so designated.
Fort Smith National Historic Site is downtown near the confluence of the Poteau and Arkansas rivers.
The Rheem Classic is a golf tournament on the Nationwide Tour, the developmental tour of the PGA. It is held every year at Hardscrabble Golf Club.

Trivia

Fort Smith is the native city of the Stouffer brothers, creators of the famous "Wild America" TV series.
Rudy Ray Moore, aka "Dolemite" was born in Fort Smith in 1937.
The Fort Smith Hiram Walker plant is the only facility outside of Mexico that bottles and distributes Kahlua.^*
2005 1st round NFL Draft pick Matt Jones spent his senior year in Fort Smith, where he was a star athlete. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars, and helped them reach the 2005 NFL Playoffs.
The city's main street, Rogers Avenue, is named for John Rogers, the founder of the civilian town of Fort Smith. Rogers Avenue is a part of Arkansas State Highway 22.

External links

The Southwest Times Record, the regional newspaper based in Fort Smith
Entertainment Fort Smith Magazine, a monthly city/regional magazine based in Fort Smith