Not a big deal, but …

It’s not a big deal, and may possibly be a minor waste of time when considering all the important things on which folks in this region are or should be focused. Hell, it may even be silly. Probably is. But it might be fun, and if we do it right, it could be a constant and better reminder of how we got here and what we want to be when we grow up.

What we might do is develop a new logo for the city of Fort Smith.

See, I told you it wasn’t much, but hear me out.

The logo now used by the city of Fort Smith and the Fort Smith Convention & Visitors Bureau is a drawing of a blockhouse attached to the first fort that in 1817 overlooked the Arkansas and Poteau Rivers.

History and heritage are certainly important to the marketing of a city, especially for cities in a region that for many decades was the edge of civilization.

We’ve seen a resurgence in the appreciation and acknowledgement of this region’s history in recent years. Part of that resurgence is the naming of Fort Smith as the home of the U.S. Marshals Museum, the buzz surrounding the remake and box office success of “True Grit,” and efforts to build a large statue in downtown Fort Smith to honor U.S. Deputy Marshal Bass Reeves. Later this year we’ll celebrate the 50th anniversary of the creation of the Fort Smith National Historic Site.

The blockhouse was likely an imposing sight for the Osage and Cherokee — some of the first folks in this area on the receiving end of an unwelcome federal mandate — and early traders traveling the rivers.

Historically, a blockhouse was intended to block or control access and/or movement within a vital area. They were typically constructed as a defensive work, with small “slits” included so riflemen or sharpshooters could stop those who had different ideas about who should control a vital area.

The two blockhouse structures as part of Fort Smith’s first fort weren’t inviting, nor did they present any indication that life was worth living anywhere outside the cramped fort walls. While some folks believe or joke that uninvited outsiders aren’t welcome in today’s Fort Smith, that was very much true about 193 years ago.

Although the early history of Fort Smith is interesting, it is the later history — a few decades before, during and after the Civil War — of Fort Smith as a last civilized stop for those traveling west or seeking justice or both that is compelling and timely. (And it may be that our economy has never been as diversified as it was when that “civilized” stop included a plethora of saloons, whorehouses, gambling houses, smokeshops and other “quality of place” amenities located among the dry goods stores supplying those traveling west. Also, “open carry” had nothing to do with politics and everything to do with being a practical accessory.)

Which is to suggest that a new logo could reflect more than just a brief history of an isolated fort active only a few years to keep the distance and peace between Native American tribes and white settlers. A new logo might reflect a region that for many decades welcomed people to push west and explore dreams and potential, and not only invited them to make a new start, but provided the resources to do so.

With the frequent economic shifts now fostered by never-ending telecom changes, cities and regions who help people push forward to explore dreams and potential must now provide an almost unconditional climate that supports innovation and entrepreneurs — preferably with quality-of-place amenities that are much less focused on hooch and hookers.

A new logo will by no means create that climate. It could, however, be part of an overall attitude change reminding us daily that this region must have an economic development strategy that fosters recruitment and retention of the aggressively innovative and entrepreneurial minds that develop the next waves of business products, services, technology and so on and so forth.

Again, it’s not a big deal, but The City Wire would be willing to pitch in $500 for the winning logo. Would think maybe a few other individuals and companies might do the same and make it lucrative enough to tempt the clever people among us. And who knows, maybe we engage an interesting selection process that garners national attention.

It’s possible the Fort Smith Board of Directors might adopt the new logo, and if so, that means we’ll need to get them a logo soon so they can spend 10 years figuring out which shade of blue to select and where the logo should be placed on city letterhead.