The first mention of this property is from 1838 when it was part of the brickyard that manufactured bricks to build the second Fort Smith. In 1877 the City Hotel was built here. In 1897, identical buildings were constructed to house the W.J. Murph…
On Sept. 1, 1863, U.S. troops under Gen. James Blunt seized Ft. Smith. It remained a Union post for the duration of the war. Fort Smith became a haven for white war refugees and former slaves, many of whom joined the Union army. Fort Smith troops …