An Act authorizing the establishment of the Fort Smith National Historic Site, in the State of Arkansas, and for other purposes
PL 87-215 (H.R.32), enacted 09/13/1961

75 S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 87-215-SEPT. 13, 1961 
489 
purchase, condemnation, or otherwise, all right, title, and interest in 
and to such lands, not to exceed four hundred and sixty acres in all, 
together with any improvements thereon, as the Secretary may deem 
necessary for the purpose of establishing a national historic site at the 
site of Fort Davis, near the town of Fort Davis, Jeff Davis County, 
Texas. 
SEC. 2. (a) The property acquired under the provisions of the first 
section of this Act shall be designated as the Fort Davis National 
Historic Site and shall be set aside as a public national memorial to 
commemorate the historic role played by such fort in the opening of 
the West. 
The National Park Service, under the direction of the 
Secretary of the Interior, shall administer, protect, and develop such 
monument, subject to the provisions of the Act entitled "An Act to 
establish a National Park Service, and for other purposes", approved 
August 25, 1916, as amended and supplemented, and the Act entitled 
"An Act to provide for the preservation of historic American sites, 
buildings, objects, and antiquities of national significance, and for 
other purposes", approved August 21, 1935, as amended. 
(b) In order to provide for the proper development and mainte-
nance of such national historic site, the Secretary of the Interior 
is authorized to construct and maintain therein such markers, 
buildings, and other improvements and such facilities for the care 
and accommodation of visitors, as he may deem necessary. 
SEC. 3. There are hereby authorized to be appropriated such sums, 
but not more than $115,060 for land acquisition, as are necessary to 
carry out the provisions of this Act. 
Approved September 8, 1961. 
39 Stat. 53S. 
16 u s e 1-4. 
49 Stat. 666. 
16 u s e 461-467. 
Approprilation. 
Public Law 87-214 
AN ACT 
To amend the Act entitled "An Act to incorporate the National Society of the 
Sons of the American Revolution", approved June 9, 1906 (34 Stat. 227), in 
order to remove the statutory limitation on the amount of property such 
society may receive, purchase, hold, sell, and convey at any one time. 
September 8, 1961 
[S. 22139] 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That section 3 of 
the Act entitled "An Act to incorporate the National Society of the 
Sons of the American Revolution , approved June 9, 1906 (34 Stat. 
227), is amended by striking out the following; ", to an amount not 
exceeding at any one time in the aggregate $500,0#0". 
Approved September 8, 1961. 
36 u s e 20c. 
Public Law 87-215 
AN ACT 
Authorizing the establishment of the Fort Smith National Historic Site, in the 
State of Arkansas, and for other purposes. 
September 13, 1961 
[H.R. 32] 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary 
Fort Smith NI 
of the Interior is authorized to designate for preservation as the Fort stte,*Ark. 
Smith National Historic Site the site of the original Fort Smith 
established in 1817 on LaBelle Point at the confluence of the Arkansas 
tional Hi a t o r i c 
B at abl 1 ahment. 
64207 0-62—34 
490 
PUBLIC LAW 87-215-SEPT. 13, 1961 
[75 ST AT, 
P u b l i c a t i o n 
F. R. 
Administration. 
16 u s e 1-4. 
Appropr i a t i o n; 
limitation. 
and Poteau Rivers, together with such adjoining property as the 
Secretary may deem necessary to accomplish the purposes of this Act. 
The area so designated shall include also the commissary building and 
the barracks building in which Judge Isaac Parker's courtroom has 
been restored, both of such buildings having been a part of the fort 
built during the latter part of the 1830's. 
SEC. 2. Within the area designated pursuant to section 1 hereof, the 
Secretary of the Interior is authorized to procure by purchase, dona-
tion, with donated funds, or otherwise, land and interests in lands: 
Provided^ That the Secretary shall purchase no property under this 
Act until the city of Fort Smith, Arkansas, conveys to the United 
States, without expense thereto, all right, title, and interest of such 
city in and to the property designated by the Secretary as necessary 
for the establishment of the Fort Smith National Historic Site. 
When 
the historically significant lands and structures comprising the desig-
nated area have been acquired as herein provided, the Fort Smith 
National Historic Site shall be established and notice thereof shall 
in be published in the Federal Register: Provided further^ That lands 
purchased by the Secretary for the purposes of this Act shall be within 
the exterior boundaries of the following described tracts of land: 
A three-sided, approximately 0.3-acre tract about 250 feet 
eastward of the easterly abutment of the Missouri Pacific Rail-
road bridge over the Arkansas River, bounded on all sides by 
railroad right-of-way 100 feet wide, approved by the Depart-
ment of the Interior May 2,1887, as delineated on the plat of West 
Fort Smith (Choctaw Nation), approved by the Acting Secretary 
of the Interior August 3, 1904, and filed June 24, 1911, and being 
block 2 thereon. 
A tract of land beginning at the intersection of the easterly 
right-of-way line of the Saint I^ouis and San Francisco Railroad 
and the northerly line of Garland Avenue; thence easterly along 
the northerly line of Garland Avenue to its intersection wnth the 
westerly line of Third Street; thence northerly along the w^esterly 
line of Third Street to its intersection with the southerly line of 
Rogers Avenue; thence westerly along the southerly line of Rogers 
Avenue to its intersection with the westerly line of Second Street; 
thence northerly along the westerly line of Second Street to the 
northeasterly corner of property of the Arkansas Warehouse 
Company; thence westerly along the northerly property lines of 
the Arkansas Warehouse Company and of the city of Fort Smith 
(knowm as the commissary) to the easterly right-of-way line of 
the Saint Louis and San Francisco Railroad; thence southerly 
along the easterly right-of-way line of the Saint Louis and San 
Francisco Railroad to the point of beginning. 
SEC. 3. The Fort Smith National Historic Site, as constituted under 
this Act, shall be administered by the Secretary of the Interior as 
a part of the National Park System pursuant to the provisions of the 
Act entitled "An Act to establish a National Park Service, and for 
other purposes", approved August 25,1916 (39 Stat. 535), as amended 
and supplemented. 
SEO. 4. There are hereby authorized to be appropriated such sums, 
not in excess of $319,000, as are necessary to acquire the real property 
necessary to carry out the purposes of this Act. 
Approved September 13, 1961.