Yet buried beneath fort smiths infamous past are forgotten stories, untold tales, and little known facts concealed just below the citys historical. This was a weekly newspaper published from may december 1975 by the 50th public information detachment at fort chaffee for the refugees housed there. Fort chaffee redevelopment authority fort chaffee history. I came across this while out with my dog, i am not sure what its purpose was i thought maybe an old military bunker or maybe a shelter for animals but. Frustrated with the conditions many refugees rioted, 62 refugees were injured some by gunfire and 46 others were arrested. Slave narratives are stories of surviving slaves told in their own words and ways. Fort chaffee army base in fort smith, ar fort chaffee, arkansas is located in the northern part of the state and serves as a training installation for army reserve soldiers and national guard. The forgotten story of how refugees almost ended bill. Early in the history of arkansas and the city, fort smith was an important point of contact to the american west.
Search our online phone book to find phone numbers, addresses, and more. Encompassing 30 acres of cityowned land, it is the final resting place of over 100 marshals, deputies, and courtappointed officials, the founder of fort smith, an arkansas governor, 15 fort smith mayors, 122 confederate soldiers, and at least 28 outlaws. Chaffee died of cancer on august 22, 1941, in boston, massachusetts. History and records 7th armored ordnance maintainace battalalion 16th ad 19421953 by lt. The collection, located in room 7 of the boreham library, is noncirculating and may be used by the public as well as the university community. The reception center at arkansass nowclosed fort chaffee was the site where elvis presley had his hair cut when he joined the army in march 1958. Chaffee, arkansas and use of agent orange as weed killer in 1975. Local history books on arkansas arcadia publishing. The base was closed following the 1995 base realignment and closure commission round. A walkable showcase of history, highlighting the role fort chaffee played in. Hidden history of fort smith, arkansas by ben boulden the history.
To see arkansas largest variety of victorian architecture, tour the belle grove historic district. This is an incomplete list of archival collections concerning the history of refugees at fort chaffee, arkansas. See more ideas about arkansas, fort smith and fort smith arkansas. The mission of the encyclopedia of arkansas project as stated on its web site is to collect and disseminate information on all aspects of the states history and culture and to provide a comprehensive reference work for historians, teachers, students and individuals for the purpose of promoting the study, understanding, and appreciation of arkansass heritage. In 1971, arkansas and oklahoma joined in the arkansas river navigation system, a project that developed the arkansas river basin to provide water transportation to the mississippi. As he stepped through brush and moss and trekked through a nowremote part of fort chaffee, friedrich paused at a concrete floor in the middle of a thicket. Fort chaffee maneuver training center is an army national guard installation in western. Fort smith sebastian county encyclopedia of arkansas. The encyclopedia of arkansas history and culture list of pensioners on the roll january 1, 1883 sebastian county, arkansas source. We found 18 books set in fort smith and 4 others set nearby. Officially activated in march 1942 and permanently designated as fort chaffee on 21 mar 1956. Mystery building fort chaffee arkansas usa youtube. The clayton house, built in the 1850s, has coalburning fi replaces in eight rooms and intricate woodwork. The chaffee crossing historic district is a walkable showcase of history that echoes the vital role that fort chaffee played in american military history beginning in wwii.
In spite of the current pandemic, there is a lot of positive momentum in the western arkansas region. Established in september 1941 as camp chaffee in sebastian county, arkansas. For some rock n roll fun, visit the fort chaffee barbershop museum at old fort chaffee. Fort chaffee joint maneuver training center fcjmtc fort chaffee joint maneuver training center is a 65,000 acre premier training site near fort smith, ar. Lawmen, farmers, bluecollar workers, civic leaders, and creative business owners built a hub of culture, health care, transportation, and enterprise. Recognized as a national historic landmark, the oldest monument in oak cemetery dates to 1842, the same year fort smith was incorporated. Camp chaffee expansion listed on national register of. Field artillery part 2 army lineage series compiled by janice e. United states army training center field artillery d battery, 3rd battalion, 1st regiment, fort. Us army training center yearbook fort chaffee, ar, class of 1957, page 23 of 96 has the largest online yearbook collection of college, university, high school, middle school, junior high school, military, naval cruise books and yearbooks. Hunter had to have a cherry vanilla soda which is cherry syrup in soda with vanilla ice cream. The story of a city at the fort smith museum of history.
History of the great court at fort smith, arkansas frank l. However, it seemed you had to be very familiar with military campaigns, officers, history of arkansas to make sense of most. Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of fort chaffee within 20 miles 32. Visitors are able to walk the grounds and tour original buildings where thousands of soldiers. Roughly 25,000 of these cuban refugeescalled marielitos because they had departed cuba from the port of marielwere housed for a time at fort chaffee in sebastian county. They make sodas and such from soda water and syrup even their cokes.
The arkansas state library provides library and information services to state. S army in size in preparation for the events of world war 2. Fort chaffee and vietnamese and cuban refugees, 19751982. Their presence in arkansas created social and political tension widely thought to have had an impact on the arkansas governors race of 1980. Visitors are able to walk the grounds and tour original buildings where thous downtown historic plaques. Fort smith is the secondlargest city in arkansas and one of the two county seats of sebastian county. History of the great court at fort smith, arkansas. Chaffee crossing is a premier mixeduse community located in fort smith and barling, arkansas.
The m24 chaffee light tank is later named after him. Training opportunities at fort chaffee maneuver training center, fort chaffee, arkansas, august 2008. On april 15, 2014 the arkansas national guards new fort chaffee combined arms. This arkansas state page of our website provides direct links to major databases and historical titles and information found on arkansas genealogy and history, whether they exist on our site, or across the web. With an estimated population of 87,845 in 2018, it is the principal city of the fort smith, arkansasoklahoma metropolitan statistical area, a region of 298,592 residents that encompasses the arkansas counties of crawford, franklin, and.
List of books and articles about arkansas history online. Field artillery b bsttery 1st battalion 2nd regiment fort chaffee arkansas. Pebley historical and cultural center collection was established in 2003 and focuses primarily on the early history of fort smith and the immediate surrounding counties. Former german pow tours old fort chaffee prison camp.
Museums in chaffee fort chaffee redevelopment authority. See more ideas about fort smith arkansas, fort smith and arkansas. The fort chaffee collection brings together two donations of materials relating to cubans who arrived in the u. United states army training center field artillery, fort chaffee. On september 28, 1995, fort chaffee became a subinstallation of fort sill. Mckenney center of military history united states army washington, d. Gray made an extensive effort to locate all the burial sites within the boundaries of the city of fort smith.
Hidden history of fort smith, arkansas by ben boulden books to read, my books. Tours of this museum are included with tours of the chaffee barbershop museum. Fort chaffee white pages phone books in arkansas ar. It is utilized by all department of defense components and a variety of local, state, and federal agencies for maneuver training, live fire exercises, river crossing operations, and urban combat training. To the point about the year 1975, we did not locate anything yet for that specific year. Chaffee jr, who was an artillery general and decorated world war one veteran. Fort chaffee is a military training facility established in 1941 as part of the plan to double the u. Run tenant background checks, credit checks, eviction history, and more.
If you ever lived in fort smith, arkansas facebook pictures. Weather service, the hottest day in fort chaffee history at 115 degrees fahrenheit. The post served as an armored division training base and a prisonerofwar pow camp during world war ii. The chaffee genealogy, embracing the chafe, chafy, chafie, chafey, chafee, chaphe, chaffie, chaffey, chaffe, chaffee descendants of thomas chaffe, of hingham, hull, rehoboth and swansea, massachusetts. Also certain lineages from families in the united states, canada and england, not descended from thomas chaffe. Aside from the reserve soldiers, it occasionally hosts active soldiers, but for small amounts of time. After a promise of quick release many processing setbacks occurred and many refugees remained still detained at the center. Combat training was initiated at camp chaffee in 1941 and most of the major buildings on the site were completed by the following year. Announcing the index arkansas project funded by the happy hollow foundation of fayetteville. Until august 2008, the military denied its use of agent orange at fort chaffee, arkansas. The chaffee barbershop museum in fort smith, arkansas, doesnt look like very much from the outside in fact, its located inside the original camp chaffee barbershop. The remaining 66,000 acres were turned over to the arkansas national guard for use as a training facility. The fort chaffee story is largely forgotten by the general public, but its a good bet that some governors havent forgotten its political lessons, david a. The museum of chaffee history houses the largest collection of fort chaffee artifacts in the.
Fort chaffee refugees libguides at university of arkansas. In late 1995, the federal government declared 7,192 of fort chaffee s 76,075 acres to be surplus and turned the land over to the state. Fort chaffee, arkansas, near fort smith, arkansas, is named in his honor. For decades now, concerned veterans and civilians have been questioning the testing of agent orange at fort chaffee, arkansas, in 1966 and 1967, as well as the residual effects of this deadly chemical. Fort chaffee was established in western arkansas in september 1941. Fort chaffee joint maneuver maneuver training center is one of the primary training sites for the arkansas army national guard. The evolution of fort chaffee since the 1940s and the addition of the arkansas air national guard in the 1950s also shaped the economy and patriotism of the area.
Clayton house serves as a living history book of fort smiths elegant victorian period. Chaffee barbershop museum fort smith, arkansas atlas. Internet archive the old fort at fort smith source. However, according to web reports, in 2011, the va admitted to testing agent orange at fort chaffee in 1966, 1967, and 1968. Hidden history of fort smith, arkansas by ben boulden, paperback. In the early 1990s, the arkansasbased walmart merchandise chain, founded by arkansan sam walton in 1962 as a smalltown discount store, became the largest retailer. This two year project is intended to help update the online index of journals, bulletins and historical resources. The following cemeteries are located in sebastian county.
The fort smith museum of history has its own soda fountain an arkansas tradition that should be celebrated, and often. Army bbs results fort chaffee arkansas korean war project. Us army training center yearbook fort chaffee, ar, class of 1951, page 7 of 168 has the largest online yearbook collection of college, university, high school, middle school, junior high school, military, naval cruise books and yearbooks. Historic attractions experience fort smith arkansas.
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