Tuesday's dig (July 16) is to make sure a proposed sidewalk construction project can be completed. Archeologists must give the green light since the proposed project is located next to the Commissary Building which is the city’s oldest standing structure.
Fort Smith National Park Superintendent Lisa Conard frost says she's excited to see what the investigation could uncover.
“What we can discover and what we might find out in this investigation could tell us about our past and it will definitely be used for our future for information on how we can better tell the story here in Fort Smith,” she said.
If the project is approved - the park will construct a sidewalk that overlooks the back door of the Commissary as well as the historic Frisco Depot. It’s all part of a bigger project which would open up the Commissary’s main interior to visitors.