December 14, 2009

December 14, 2009

From west of Oklahoma City we rose early and headed east before sunup. The weather is supposed to turn cold so we need to cover some distance today. Our first stop is just across the Arkansas border at Fort Smith National Historic Site. Surprisingly most of the history associated with this site is with Oklahoma or what used to be Indian Territory. Very early in our nation’s history, it was planned that Indians east of the Mississippi were to be relocated to Oklahoma. When the first Cherokees arrived, hostilities broke out with the Osage who thought it was their land. Fort Smith was established in 1817 to bring peace. Later when the military duties transferred west, the fort was occupied by a Federal court responsible for the Indian Territory. “Hanging Judge” Parker presided over the US Marshals sent to Oklahoma to retrieve violent criminals. This story was the basis for Clint Eastwood’s “Hang ‘em High” and John Wayne’s “True Grit”.

The fort is also a stop on the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail. This trail follows the Cherokee’s forced removal from Georgia to Oklahoma. What makes their story unique is that the Cherokees had become “civilized” by learning to read and write and adopting farming lifestyles. Nevertheless Georgia didn’t want an independent nation within their state borders. I guess I can't blame them. In our travels, Aimee and I also wonder why in this modern era we still have "reservations".

Finished at Fort Smith we drove a few blocks to Miss Laura’s, the only bordello that is now a national historic landmark. We were given a tour of this restored business by a sweet old lady who never blushed once during the explanations.


From Fort Smith we drove north through the scenic Ozark Mountains to Pea Ridge National Military Park. Pea Ridge was the largest and most important battle west of the Mississippi. A Union victory here made sure that the border slave state of Missouri stayed in the Union. Surprisingly, many of Oklahoma’s Indians fought with the South…to their detriment. After the war, they were considered defeated combatants and had part of their new homelands taken away. After watching the park’s film we took a drive around the battlefield. Our stops were pretty quick because of the cold front blowing in.

From Pea Ridge we drove along a very windy mountain road to spend the night in Eureka Springs. This cutesy tourist town is decorated with thousands of lights for the holidays. Unfortunately for Aimee all the shops are closed by the time we arrive.