Fort Smith named ‘True Western Town’ by True West magazine

Fort Smith has been named the number one “True Western Town” by True West Magazine for the year 2013.

This is the eighth year that the 60-year-old monthly publication has named its top ten True Western Towns. The magazine notes that the award is “given to towns that have made an important contribution to preserving their Old West heritage.”

“True West is one of the best sources for travel and tourism for fans of the Old West,” says David Turk, Historian for the United States Marshals Service. “It’s been considered one of the very best western history magazines for many years.”

According to a True West news release, “there are thousands of great towns in the American West, ones that exemplify the spirit and dedication of the pioneers who built and developed them. But 10 of them stand out — and they are the True Western Towns of 2013,” according to their February 2013 issue, out on newsstands on Jan. 1, 2013.

The designation is based upon an extensive application which was completed by a committee of individuals most familiar with how Fort Smith has preserved its history and heritage.

The credit for Fort Smith’s selection goes to many individuals and organizations, according to Claude Legris, executive director of the Fort Smith Advertising and Promotion Commission.

“Our community has always placed a high priority on preserving our colorful past and making sure that appreciation is passed on to future generations. We have ‘branded’ Fort Smith with our frontier heritage since the Convention and Visitors Bureau was established two decades ago. It’s a ‘natural’ brand for Fort Smith because it’s who and what we are,” Claude Legris, executive director of the Fort Smith Advertising and Promotion Commission, noted in a statement.

Legris specifically credited the late Polly Crews for keeping the city’s tourism focus on its heritage.

“The accolades for this accomplishment belong to the hundreds who have made our heritage a priority for many years,” Legris said in the statement. “Miss Polly Crews, who was a member of the Arkansas Parks Recreation and Travel Commission, told us for years that ‘our future was in our past,’ and as usual, Miss Polly was right.”