You will find this statue in Ross Pendergraft Park is adjacent to Fort Smith National Historic Site. It catches your eye as you drive pass. There is a parking lot on the side of the park, opposite the stage where you can park, get out and take a closer look.
This bronze was dedicated in 2012 to honor the extraordinary service of Bass Reeves, an African-American former slave who became a highly respected Deputy U.S. Marshal. He is credited with apprehending more than 3,000 men and killing 14 in the line of duty. The statue is 20 feet tall, and 14 feet long and depicts Marshal Reeves on his horse with a rifle in his right hand and his faithful dog by his side. Reeves is heading towards Oklahoma (the statue is actually pointing that way), which was known as Indian territory. It is the work of Harold Holden and the $300,000 price tag for the statue was funded by a more than five years of fundraising by the Bass Reeves Legacy Initiative. The statue was constructed in Oklahoma and brought over to neighboring Fort Smith, Arkansas.
It is a very nice statue and has an uncanny resemblance to Reeves. It is very detailed, but that is a bit difficult to see because the bronze is so dark and also because the statue is so high. It is however, illuminated at night and has a title placard in the front and an informational placard off to the side, in the park. It is definitely worth a visit if you are in the area, but like most all statues that I have reviewed, it is not a long stop and you should consider making it park of a larger itinerary. read more