JOPLIN, Mo. —
The best way to get relatives and descendants interested in their family history is to organize trips to sites where ancestors lived, and to also visit historic sites that significantly affected their lives.
Many of the earliest settlers in Southwest Missouri traveled from the St. Louis area down the Old Wire Road, also known as the Old Osage Trail or Military Trail. Few people know that thousands of families also traveled to the area via Fort Smith, Ark.
Early trappers and settlers reached Fort Smith by traveling from the Mississippi River up the Arkansas River. From that town, they traveled to Northwest Arkansas, Southwest Missouri and eastern Oklahoma.
During the 1830s, several groups of Native Americans were forced to travel along one leg of the Trail of Tears through the Fort Smith area on their way to the Indian Territory. The town provided the last chance for those Native American families to buy supplies before crossing into their new land.
Fort Smith developed around a fort that was built on a hill overlooking the Arkansas River. The fort was built to promote peace between tribes in that area. Later the fort was used as a training ground for soldiers who fought in the Mexican War.
During the Civil War, the fort was used as a supply depot. Between 1872 and 1896, the fort served as a site where the Federal Court for the Western District of Arkansas meted out punishments for heinous crimes of outlaws, many of whom had fled to the Indian Territory to avoid prosecution.
If any of your ancestry has ties to Fort Smith, plan a trip south through the scenic Ozark Mountains to the area. The Fort Smith National Historic Site, located downtown near the Arkansas River, has restored Judge Parker’s courthouse.
At the site, one can also see remnants of the original fort built in 1817. The Ft. Smith Museum of History, Fort Smith Trolley Museum and the Fort Smith National Cemetery are all nearby.
The trolley museum has restored electric streetcars that frequently take visitors on historic rides. The trolley line stops at the national cemetery, Ross Pendergraft Park, the FSTM rose garden and the parking lot of Varsity Sports Grill.
Motormen (including my husband Jim and our friend, John Shomin, who sometimes volunteer there) point out area attractions and historic sites. Admission is $2 for adults and $1 for children.
For more details, call the Fort Smith Trolley Museum at 479-783-0205 or the Fort Smith Museum of History at 479-783-7841. The Fort Smith Public Library, located at 3201 Rogers Ave., also has many historical and genealogical resources. Those interested may contact the library at 479-783-0229.
Suggestions or queries? Send to Frankie Meyer, 509 N. Center St., Plainfield, IN 46168, or contact: frankiemeyer@yahoo.com.
Globe Life
Related Photos
-
Frankie Meyer
Discussion
Frankie Meyer: Fort Smith’s vast history creates family destination
- Globe Life
-
-
Prototype of a drying rack for Stars of Hope earns award, emotional response
Michael Moritz, Travis Coffee and Kenneth Paylor had no idea that an assignment for their senior design class at Missouri Southern State University would win an award or the emotional gratitude from a service organization.
-
Ryan Richardson: Groups give tips for preventing dog bites
When I was a teenager in the '90s I had an unfortunate incident with my neighbor's dog, a Brittany, that I had grown up with. It took a chunk out of my thigh when I went into the neighbors' yard to retrieve a ball.
-
Frankie Meyer: Information is only as good as its source
Those details later become crucial as contradictory information is found, which it will be. How can one decide which detail is correct if the sources of the details are unknown?
-
Jeana Gockley: Library lines up reading club books
The Joplin Public Library's annual Summer Reading Club kicks off on Tuesday, May 28, so in preparation for a great summer of reading, I have been digging for titles that fit with this year's "Dig Into Reading" theme.
-
Frankie Meyer: Prepare for holiday visits to cemeteries
Memorial Day weekend is the ideal time to not only decorate the graves of loved ones, but also learn the location of unmarked graves -- and learn about relatives who are buried nearby. That weekend is also a great time to contact living relatives.
-
Patty Crane: Mystery series should appeal to Reacher fans
In the novel "Taken" by Robert Crais, a bajadores is a predator that kidnaps people being smuggled into the country. The bajadores, the Syrian, demands ransom from families of the people he kidnaps. His ransom demands are low, and as long as the families pay, the demands continue.
-
Ryan Richardson: Harness works better than a leash
This is the time of year to take your dog outside to enjoy the weather. You both get exercise, you bond more, and it gives you an opportunity to work together as a team. I take my dog out as much as I can, and my dog is happy to see other dogs when we go on walks.
-
Mutual admiration: Academic Team members thank teachers for inspiration, drive
Members of The Joplin Globe's All-Area Academic Excellence Team thanked teachers for inspiring them to push themselves during a recognition banquet Monday at Missouri Southern State University.
-
Linda Cannon: Book covers subtleties' effects on humans
I'm always a sucker for books on what makes people tick, so I grabbed "Drunk Tank Pink: And Other Unexpected Forces that Shape How We Think, Feel, and Behave" by Adam Alter as soon as I saw it. Alter holds a Ph.D. in applied psychology from Princeton and is an assistant professor at NYU.
-
Frankie Meyer: Old home sites treasures to discover
We genealogists do a similar activity as part of our research. The treasures that we seek are old home sites. Instead of using GPS coordinates, we use clues such as the presence of rusted metal, cellar holes and vintage plants.
- More Globe Life Headlines
-
Company Promises to Make All Snail Mail Digital
Analyst: Tumblr Fills Void in Yahoo's Offerings
Commuters Face Delays After Conn. Train Accident
Raw: Swarm of Tornadoes Slams Plains
Raw: Fierce Bombing in Qusair, Syria
RAW: TV Staff Take Cover From Tornado
Raw: Accused US Spy Reportedly Leaves Russia
AP CEO: Records Seizure 'Unconstitutional'
Fatal Hot Air Balloon Accident in Turkey
Tornadoes, Storms Strike Midwest
'Babyland': Camp Lejeune's Toxic Legacy?
Raw: Heavy Tornado Damage in Shawnee, Okla
NTSB Begins Investigation Into Conn. Train Crash
Could Tobacco Be the Next Biofuel?
