HIGHLIGHTS AND SIDELIGHTS, 1854-1985

The first church in Fort Smith was built in 1842 on a red clay bill at the corner of North 2nd and “D” Streets. It was inter­denominational, named “Union Church.” There were no organized congregations. Public aid was solicited. Like all border towns there were many horse races and sporting men with money. They contributed ten or twenty dollar gold pieces and, with contributions from the more staid and sober people, sufficient funds were collected to built the church. The pulpit was filled with circuit riders or whoever could be induced to stay for a time, until after some years the pulpit was occupied on alternate Sundays by Methodist and Presby­terian ministers. Finally it was controlled by the Presbyterians. The first Roman Catholic Church was 20x48’, built of logs about 1847, on the corner of 3rd and “D” Street. It is mentioned here because the cost was re­corded: Logs, roof and boards #175; Doors, flooring, windows, frames, sashings #50; Nails, clips, hardware, benches, steps #28.50; stone pillars #5; making a total of #258.50.

In 1850 a young man from Massachusetts settled here. Excerpts from letters he wrote home give a glimpse of Fort Smith life at the time:

“To Mrs. and Mr. Benj. D. Williams: — I like it here first rate and have got a good place. It is the largest wholesale Forwarding and Commission Rouse in the city and I must inform you that this is an incorporated city and has a city Government - Mayor, etc. There is some 50 stores in the place —about 1000 or 1200 inhabitants, We have a few very good houses but the larger portion of them are made of logs...

  “You bad ought to see some of the houses we have out here made of logs and lined with cotton cloth, floors carpeted, pianos, stuffed chairs and sofas which make quite a contrast with the houses. They are all famous for fine furniture and fine clothes. They all dream better than they do in the East and the clothing costs twice as much...

“The site of the Fort is very handsome....It is about fifty yards from our store exactly opposite....

  “The boundary between the United States and the Indian Nation runs about 25 yards from our store door. Just across the river is a famous dueling ground which is occupied quite often there being hardly a week without someone is stabbed or shot...

  “Do not have any carriage riding there not being any passable roads except in the City and both men, women and children go horseback. Sometimes three or four come to church on one horse....”

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*Even before the organization of the Christian Church here in 1854, some of the most foremost pioneer Disciples preachers would come to this frontier post and hold meetings. Among these was Robert Graham, founder and president of the first college in Arkansas , The Arkansas College in Fayetteville .

  With encouragement from Bro. Graham, in 1854 eleven adults and three young people banded together to form the First Christian Church. They were few in number, but strong in faith and courage, and most of them pro­minent in the community. ((One of the founding young people was Mary E. Rutherford, later to become Mrs. William M. Cravens. A history of our con­gregation, written in 1944, says of her “Until her death in 1951, Mrs. Cravens was an important factor in the life and growth of the church here. The inspiration and traditions established by her and other pioneer leaders will live always in the spirit of the brotherhood they helped develop.))

  In 1858, strengthened in numbers, the congregation decided to buy a small frame building on North 6th Street, between “C” and “D,” for use as a chapel. A Miss Tatum and Mary E. Rutherford solicited public contribu­tions to help buy the building, which could also be used as a school (there being no public schools at the time).

  The next year a pastor was called. He was paid no salary, but exchanged his preaching services for the privilege of using the chapel as a school­house without paying rent for it.

  So the fledgling congregation had five promising years. Then two terrible events almost caused its demise.

  The first was a disastrous fire on September 20, 1860, which destroyed the Garrison Block, the pride and glory of the town. This business block was between 1st and 2nd streets; it extended down 2nd to “A.” It had been built just a few years before at a cost of $74,000.00. Across the street, facing the river, stood the City Hotel built by John Rogers. Most of the furniture in the hotel was saved, but everything else was completely destroyed. whether or not any of the businesses lost be­longed to, or directly furnished employment for, any of the Disciples is unknown, but it would have been impossible for such a calamity not to have badly affected the church along with the rest of the community. The heart of the business district was gone — not to be rebuilt until after the Civil War.

  It was the Civil War itself which was the second disastrous event. At first there was no disruption to the local churches, but when the Union forces occupied Fort Smith, the Christian flock scattered. There is no record of what use was made of the chapel during this period, if any. In 1863 the Union Army used the Baptist Church to store hay. The Pres­byterian and Methodist buildings were used as hospitals. (The little Union Church reverted to its original plan, and all denominations used it as a place of worship when a minister was available.) The Catholic Church disappeared - the occupying forces apparently carried it away a log at a time.

  In 1869, when people were becoming adjusted to the new order, and were looking about for the old landmarks of social, religious, and business life, it was found that there were few Disciples left to resume the work of the Christian Church here. Of the original fourteen, only six sur­vived. The little group began meeting at Mrs. Walker’s school on Knox Street. Every fourth Sunday they had Bro. Northcutt as preacher.

  A year later new families of Disciples had moved to Fort Smith, and it was decided to re-establish the church in the chapel. One hundred dollars was raised by public subscription; with what the membership could add, this was sufficient to repair the building, and provide seating and lighting. And “Christian Chapel” was painted over the door.

  *See Addendum page B for amplification of this paragraph.

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An extant document, written in purple ink, says “The members of the Church of Christ met in Fort Smith on Lord’s Day, January 29, 1871 and signed their names to the following pledge:

  “We, as members of the Body of Christ, do covenant and agree to form an association which shall be called the Christian Congregation of Fort Smith. This in order to the proper observance of the ties and ordin­ances obligatory upon and dear to everyone who has been buried with Christ in baptism. That each Lord’s Day shall find us here assembled (unless pro­vidently hindered) to worship the Lord in spirit and in truth. Also that we help one another to walk blameless, thereby giving to the world an ex­ample of union and holiness, so that it may be led to exclaim, ‘Verily, Christ reigneth here” In witness whereof we do now sign our names here­to, this 29 January A.D. 1871”

  There follows a list of fourteen names, also written in purple ink. There are six additional names; then the date Feb. 25 with 11 names, March 3 with 11 names, and June 30 with seven names.

  There followed a number of years when the congregation was without a pastor almost as often as it had one. Apparently the custom began of individuals in the congregation pledging to underwrite a pastor’s  salary, with additional payment to the pastor from the loose offering on Sunday if any was left over after paying operating expenses of the church.

  A tattered document from 1877 states: “The undersigned hereby promise to pay Elder George Owens the amount set opposite our names for his ??? with us as a teacher of the Gospel in Fort Smith Arkansas for the period of one year, in four equal installments....” The first nine signatures have pledge amounts ranging from $175 to $6.00, for a total of $283.00. Both the last two names and the amounts pledged have faded to illegi­bility; probably neither of the amounts exceeded $6.00.

  The next year Elder Owens was gone and Bro. L. W. Scott had come as pastor. The Treasurer’ a record, apparently beginning at the time Bro. Scott came, while the paper is somewhat brown is reproducible and is on page 5. Note that Bro. L. W. Scott received no money from Sunday contributions in January and February: apparently attendance and con­tributions were down in those cold months. However, he was paid $12.50 the next April, in addition to whatever sum had been underwritten by individuals.

  It is interesting to see among the records in the seventies, when cash was scarce, such entries as ‘For Church extension work $10.00;” “For relief of poor $3.00; For Bethany College $5.00.” Truly sacrificial offerings, these!

  In 1880 Port Smith’s population was 3,099. Already a major center for supplying the growing Oklahoma and Texas territories, the city began to develop industries. Soon it had several lumber companies, the second largest cotton seed works in the world, two foundries, a brickyard     and 32 saloons. In the spring of 1882 the first street car line made its appearance on Garrison Avenue - of course, it was pulled by a mule, but it was progress. Mr. George Tulsa installed the first telephone exchange in 1885. The “Daily Herald” urged the erection of street lamps, and the sprinkling of the streets in sum­mertime to allay the clouds of dust. By 1890 the population almost quadrupled: 11,311 citizens.

  In the early 80’s a movement began in our congregation to build a new church building.  The chapel was sold and the congregation began meeting on the second floor of a business house on Garrison Avenue. The church rooms were reached from a rear stairway.

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