Arkansas boasts a rich history and significant role in helping preserve law and order to our developing nation. Through the legacy of famous Hanging Judge Isaac Parker and great lawmen like Deputy U.S. Marshal Bass Reeves, Fort Smith established itself as the center of the U.S. Marshals Service history. Today we celebrate the 225^th anniversary of the creation of the Marshals Service. I can’t think of a better way to honor the men and women who served our nation’s oldest and most versatile federal law enforcement agency than with the groundbreaking of a national museum dedicated to the work they have done since 1789. 

I’ve been proud to play a part in bringing the U.S. Marshals Museum home to Fort Smith and joining with other members of the Arkansas Congressional Delegation to honor the service of our Marshals with a commemorative coin. This has all been the result of the vision, hard work and dedication of Fort Smith residents. We should be proud of our history and I’m happy to see us embracing our past to provide opportunities for the future.   

Read about the groundbreaking
Times Record - Ground Broken For $50 Million Marshals Museum In Fort Smith

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette - Marshals Museum on its way to fruition

The City Wire - Large crowd gathers in Fort Smith for U.S. Marshals Museum groundbreaking