View source for Fort Smith, Arkansas

'''Fort Smith''' is the second largest city in the U.S. state of [[Arkansas]] and the seat of government of Sebastian County. The 2010 population was 86,209. Fort Smith is located near the [[Oklahoma]] border.

The city was particularly known in the 19th century for U.S. District Court Judge [[Isaac Parker]], the "Hanging Judge" who sent sentenced  one hundred criminals to the gallows.

From 1967 to 1972, Fort Smith was represented in the Arkansas House of Representatives by the [[Republican]] [[George E. Nowotny, Jr.]], a geologist and businessman originally from New Braunfels, [[Texas]], and later a resident of [[Tulsa]], Oklahoma. Another Republican from Fort Smith, [[Carolyn Pollan]], became the longest-serving Republican and the longest-serving woman legislator in Arkansas history. Because of term limits since enacted, Pollan's record may not be surpassed.

From 1962 to 1964, [[William L. Spicer]], a businessman from Fort Smith, was the state Republican chairman. 
Spicer, a political [[conservative]], and [[Winthrop Rockefeller]], who was elected in 1966 as the first Arkansas Republican governor since [[Reconstruction]], became involved in a public disagreement over the scope and future of the Arkansas Republican Party.

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[[Category:Arkansas Cities and Towns]]