FORT SMITH, Ark., city and county-seat of Sebastian County, situated on the western border of the State at the junction of the Arkansas and Poteau rivers, and on the Saint Louis and San Francisco, Missouri Pacific, Kansas City Southern, Midland Valley and other railroads. The city is in a rich agri cultural region and derives a greater part of its income from this source. There are also coal mines near by. The city has a wagon factory, several furniture and chair factories, a wood-working establishment, machine shops, cotton compress and oil wells, manufactories of dry goods, drugs, leather goods and a trade in coal, corn, cotton. There are two daily and several weekly papers published. The city has eight public schools, a high school, two commercial colleges, a Catholic Girls' Academy, three parochial schools and two conservatories of music. There are 13 churches, represent ing nearly all denominations. There are four
banks (three national and one savings), having a combined capital of $900,000. Among the notable public buildings are the Federal and county courthouses, the United States jail and a hospital, Saint Anne's Academy, Carnegie li brary, city park and an opera-house. A Na tional cemetery is located on the site of the former "Post* burying ground. Fort Smith was originally a French trading post, and in 1817 became the headquarters for the gathering and distribution of supplies for the United States army in the Southwest. It was called Belle Point by the early settlers, was incor porated in 1842, and received its city charter in 1886. The city adopted the commission form of government in 1913. The city is lighted by electricity, gas and natural gas, owns its own waterworks and possesses an excellent system of electric railways. Pop. 28,638.