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Experience The Western District at the Fort Smith Museum of HistoryThe River Valley Film Society and the Fort Smith Museum of History invite the community to experience THE WESTERN DISTRICT, a compelling one-act historical play written and produced by Dr. Brandon Chase Goldsmith.
Bringing to life a little-known chapter of Fort Smith history, THE WESTERN DISTRICT explores the dramatic events surrounding the relocation of the Western District Court of Arkansas from Van Buren to Fort Smith on May 8, 1871.
The court was moved into a notorious saloon known as Fort Smith’s “Hole in the Wall,” the site occupied today by 21 West End. In just fourteen months and twenty days, it became the most corrupt courthouse in the United States.
Congressional investigations later uncovered shocking illegal schemes, including criminal charges dropped for cash, a U.S. Marshal founding a National Bank to conceal the equivalent of $1 million, the Secret Service being chased out of town under threat of assassination, and a Grand Jury manipulated to avoid prosecution.
Blending history and theater, THE WESTERN DISTRICT offers audiences an engaging look into the turbulent early days of federal justice and frontier politics in Fort Smith.
📍 Event Details
What: THE WESTERN DISTRICT One-Act Play
Presented by: River Valley Film Society
Hosted at: Fort Smith Museum of History
📍 320 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith
Dates: May 29 or May 30
Showtime: 1:30 p.m.
Approximate Runtime: 1 Hour
Join us for an unforgettable performance uncovering one of the most fascinating and controversial chapters in Fort Smith history.
Tickets to this event can also be found at Bordertown.live or ozarkstix.com
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Event Venue
320 Rogers Ave, Fort Smith, AR, United States, Arkansas 72901
Tickets
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