Fort Smith, Ark. — The Western District continues its June tour with performances at Miss Laura’s Brothel Museum on June 12 and 13 at 1:30 p.m., offering audiences a rare opportunity to experience Fort Smith history in one of the city’s most iconic historic locations. “A truly unique experience. A fantastic cast that brings the history to life,” says museum manager Angel Tracy.
The one-act play explores the corruption scandals surrounding Arkansas’ Western District federal court in the early 1870s, including historically accurate references to prostitution practices that played a role in Fort Smith’s legal, political, and social history.
One story featured in the historical background of the play begins with John Childers, who escaped the Van Buren Jail with Wyatt Earp. While Earp went on to become a famous lawman, Childers became the first person hanged in Fort Smith. According to Robert F. Turpin in The Gates of Hell, Childers, known as “The Ten Dollar Outlaw,” was betrayed by his favorite prostitute, who sold him out for $10. Deputy Marshals Vannoy and Peevey slipped in through the back of her place and surprised Childers in the middle of his business, slapping him in handcuffs as he cursed the woman who had betrayed him.
At the time, Fort Smith’s infamous No. 11 den of prostitution operated on Garrison Avenue. The New Era reported on August 5, 1874, that its closing removed “this foul place” from the town’s main street, near both the courthouse and the steamboat landing, where respectable women were forced to pass and witness “the most scandalous things.”
Fort Smith Mayor Brooks, who was connected to the Western District scandal as the court’s commissioner, backdated warrants for fraudulent arrests and passed a city ordinance that effectively regulated prostitution. According to the Arkansas Patriot on January 20, 1872, the city marshal was authorized to collect five dollars per month from each woman “known as a public prostitute” as a fine for violating ordinances related to bawdy houses. A federal investigation also alleged that Deputy Marshal Lacey took prostitutes into Indian Territory and charged the court for their services as part of his posse.
“The deeper I dug into Fort Smith’s history, the more I realized these weren’t just names in old newspapers they were real people whose choices shaped the city we live in today,” Dr. Brandon Chase Goldsmith, Writer/Producer/Actor, The Western District. “My passion has been taking those forgotten stories and weaving them into a play that helps audiences laugh, learn, and connect with the people who walked these streets more than 150 years ago.”
Dr. Brandon Chase Goldsmith spent three and a half years researching historical archives, museum backrooms, private collections, local historians, and more than 500 pages of Congressional Record to piece together this long-lost chapter of Fort Smith history. The Western District tells the never-before-told story of court corruption that led to the founding of the First National Bank of Fort Smith and reveals the real reasons Judge Isaac Parker came to Arkansas’ Western District Court.
Performances at Miss Laura’s Brothel Museum will take place June 12 and 13 at 1:30 p.m. Get Tickets ($15) at ozarkstix.com or BorderTown.Live
The Western District Comes to Fort Smith’s Newest Arts Venue
Before arriving at Miss Laura’s, The Western District will make history on June 6 at 7:30 p.m. as the first theatrical production performed at Fort Smith’s newest creative venue, The Haunt.
The stage itself was constructed while the cast rehearsed for the show’s four-month run, creating a unique connection between the production and the venue’s freshly constructed stage.
“Our goal here at The Haunt is to provide an artistic space for all types of art,” says owner Jesse Hendricks. “It’s the home of my photography studio, but it’s so much more. We have a live event venue for theater productions, live music, burlesque and drag performances, workshops, and creative gatherings. Even the photography studio is available to rent for photographers who don’t have a studio or simply need a different look.”
Located at 17½ North 10th Street, at the corner of A Street, The Haunt occupies a historic building constructed in 1896. The space retains its original exposed brick walls and hardwood floors, while six large 7-foot-by-4-foot windows fill the venue with natural light. The nearly 7,000-square-foot facility combines historic industrial character with a vision for Fort Smith’s creative future.
As The Western District continues its attractions tour across Fort Smith, performances at venues like The Haunt demonstrate how historic storytelling and new artistic spaces can work together to create unique cultural experiences for residents and visitors alike.
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Media Contacts
Angel Tracy
Jesse Hendricks
(479) 259-8838
Brandon Goldsmith