Driving around Fort Smith, Arkansas with Ed Golden in 1975 

Who almost cried🤧

I didn't move to Fort Smith till 1994. It's amazing how many places downtown and on Towson are easily recognizable. Dig the background music too.

OMG, these are gems! My dad was born in Fort Smith; I can't wait to show these to him! Would LOVE to see more!

What a cool video…so glad you made it and we all get to see it. That ole Walmart is a used up flea market nowadays. Thank you for sharing this!

I came to Fort Smith in January 1983 and attended Westark Community College for 2 years. I met many, many great people who extended their warm hospitality to a foreign student from the other side of the globe. I remember taking photos of a parade going down Garrison Ave, drinking Mojitos at the Rooster Cogburns Bar and watching a friend, bassist Jon Davis, played with his band in a small but lively bar around the area. Jon's daytime job was at the Sound Warehouse on Rogers Ave, together with Monique & James Jones. Admittedly, I spent too much of my youth in that music shop but am happy that I gained the warm friendship of these lovely people...hope they are doing well and God Bless!

Wow, thanks for the trip. You passed my cousin in the old red barracuda before pizza hut where he and my little brother both worked. So many memories from your short movie. Thank You

I graduated from Northside in 1975, joined the Marine Corps, and have been gone ever since. But this is what it was like for sure! What a cool time-capsule. Thank you!

I was between my junior and senior year in high school then. I recognize everything but in my memory it wasn’t so old fashioned looking. Funny how memories work. Thank you for posting this.

I was born in ft.smith love this nostalgic video of simpler times

I was born in 1972. So much has changed, some for the better, but a lot for the worst in my opinion. Makes me sad. At least most of it is still recognizable.

Brings back a lot of memories. Towson Avenue was booming then. I loved over by Holt Krock Clinic. I was born in '66. The old Southwest Times Record building, Superior Motors, Hinton- Cox Pontiac, all the little hotels on Towson where Sparks/ Baptist Health is now. The Wise Radio and electronics, Irish Maid donuts. The old fire station in the corner. That's station was the last one in Fort Smith that had the brass pole that they could slide down . So many memories. It brings a tear to my eye, but I watch over and over.

This was fascinating. I was between the third and fourth grade in Fort Smith in the summer of 1975, and I saw so many places I recognized in these film clips. I just wish he had driven by the Worldburger drive-in.

I'd love to go around town with a GoPro or somesuch and do a shot-for shot comparison video of this! So neat!

Does anyone remember the dividing wall that ran the center lane of Midland Boulevard from North P to the river? Or Goochie's Drive In, they & World Burger at North 10th & D. They had the best fast food in town.

I was 6 when this was shot. Brought back a lot of memories.

Wish you could have shown central mall.

I live in ft Smith and my dad is a Vietnamese refugee!!! This is insane!

I was Born in 1967 at Sparks Hospital,,Nuns delivered me! Lived over at Colony South neighborhood. Then moved off Kelly Highway ( North 57th lane went to Sutton, Kimmons and NorthSide High. I live in Tennessee now. But I check back every now and then. Had great times there as a kid. The 1990's came and meth did a number on Ft. Smith. I joined the Army to move out of Arkansas..I remember before central mall came,,you got dressed up went to Garrison ave for all your shopping needs. I miss Buster Browns!❤

My grandfather used to drive his ‘50 Ford Custom back and forth from Fayetteville to Fort Smith. I was wanting to write a screenplay that carried the spiritual legacy of hot rodding cars in America with Arkansas as the backdrop. Thanks for this wonderful video! It will help me with setting descriptions!

It's awesome seeing what this town looked like when I was four! I still work in Fort Smith and drive past most of the streets shown here when I go through downtown then out East from there. Little bit of sadness to see the old Whirlpool, my grandparents were engineers there when that video was shot.

Thank you very much for the film of Fort Smith in 1975! Lots of old memories were refreshed!

This is crazy I live in Fort Smith right now I grew up here I'm almost 40 years old it's changed a lot since then that was before my time thank you I really like it

We had been living in Fort Smith about a year. My husband was working at KFPW radio and TV, where Ed Golden was a camera man, if I remember correctly.

Thank you so much for posting! This brings back so many memories.

Hilariously, a lot of that same junk that you see on the sides of the road is still sitting in the exact same place to this day.

Born in raised in Fort Smith, met the love of my life here and if it wasn't for meeting her I'd I hate this town hahaha

I still love my city! Sitting in my house by whirlpool watching this fine vid. Cheers

Grew up in Fort Smith, been gone since 1978. What memories. Dad worked at Whirlpool, brother worked at Ft. Chaffee at this time, just a remarkable video. Thank you so much for posting this for us to all enjoy. Wonderful.

This is great. Change and getting older are difficult.

That was so cool! I grew up in Fort Smith. Would have been about 12. I remember almost everything in here! Thanks for the memories!

Crazy to see where i live, 45 or so years back! I can tell you were in central mall parking lot on Rogers ave! I live right at that curve! Wild, so fascinating thank you for sharing!

Love it... I was in 5 th grade at Belle Point, I lived just a block off Towson on 11 the St, I remember all of this, mom used to take us in that Hunts store, ❤️❤️❤️❤️

That's a great video I work on wheeler Ave and lived here awhile it's a different now

I was born, raised, and still live in Fort Smith. Of course, being born in 1985, I never got to see what it looked like "back then", so this is a really cool view for me! I'd love to see more from different times!

Born in 82, born and raised in the fort. this is amazing. Thank you for sharing!

Omg thank you

So much fun! My son was born in 1976, so I know he will enjoy this as much as I did!

Nice remembrance tour! Background music credits, please?

I’m impressed they had real stop lights in that city and not ones hanging from electrical wire...

So was this like the capital city of Arkansas ? - I've seen some "townships" in AR that are smaller than my garden.

Best small city in Arkansas, great memories.

Here's a Then and now by time stamps. I'm leaving out the Fort Chaffee stuff. I was raised in this town, and most of what I can tell you is from memories from the late 70's (when I was 3), and onward. There is some stuff I had to do a little extra research over as well as edit thing down due to the amount of info is a lot. 2:03 in the late 70's thru the early 80's The three big factories in the area where Whirlpool (pictured here) General Electric, and Rheem (both on Zero St.). GE became Trane in the early 80's, and in 2012 Whirlpool closed & in 2017 Trane closed. Rheem is still here. 2:51 Surprisingly except for the bridge change not much else has changed the apartments are still there.... well except for a paint job over the bricks as of late (and a ugly color to boot). 2:56 all these buildings except for the building behind the mail box is gone to the right it's all either parking for Baptist Health (former Sparks) or Evangel Temple (AOG Church) the one that's on the left were the mailbox is left is a bar called Perry's Place. 3:00 Most of the businesses are gone Hunt's moved to Phoenix Village Mall then to Central Mall before closing for good in the mid 90's on the left the Courthouses and the Fort Smith Museum are still there, but the rest is now part of Wyndham Fort Smith City Center/ Civic Center. The Right is mostly a parking garage (were Hunt's use to be), a parking lot for the State Building, and another Bar (a growing trend in Downtown FS). 3:05 the closets building to the lady is now a Post Office. The Otasco (across the street) went away in the mid 80's and for the most part was just vacant, but is now offices for Propak Inc. Fun Fact before it was Otasco it was where Sears was before moving to Central Mall. I learned this from researchng a 1969 Northside High School year book (they had a sponsor AD.) 3:19 The Leader is the Army Surplus store, and it's still around, but next to it's left is Club Kinkeads (LGBT+ Bar) to it's right is Hero's and at the corner of 10th & Garrison is Tipsy's Pub (it's been way too many things to list over the years) also note that the sidewalks look wayyyyy better now than they did back in the 70's and 80's. 3:31 That Newsstand was the 2nd last newsstand if Fort Smith to remain in the 2000's it has since became a used bookstore, and now it's a tea shop. now next door is a closed off doors to a hall right next to that is a office for some of Fort Smiths historic attractions the building with the red brick 2nd floor is now a Popcorn Shop (and they do online orders) the building next to that is gone and the last one is vacant for decades, but in the last year has become fancy apartments. On the doors to a hallway there is some extra history about that..... 3:39 The big red brick part of the building that sticks out to the back is part of the building in the middle there. This was the First Malco Movie Theater (the building is called Sparks circa 1911) The Marquee in the front was gone by the very early 80's. There was plans to restore/reopen it, but to this day it's unclear if that'll ever happen within my life time. there was another exit which is the long hallway that was talked about earlier. That park is still around, but they added a fountain. 3:43 The old City National Bank Building is still there, but they've been bought out by BancorpSouth the buildings next to it are long gone and is a open lot (private park?)... The gas station is now a local Coffee house. At least it ain't another #*&$%# bar. 3:52 everything but the McDonald's has changed over the years. For example the business in between McD's and the car lot became a Subway and it's now Asuka Sushi & Hibatchi. The auto dealer closed up in the 90's, but the little shack office and garage lasted until around 2015. 4:05 The IHOP closed down, and became the following: A Granny's Restaurant, the a Casual Male XL Big & Tall Clothing store until it shut down in 2007 (I was the manager in it's last weeks when the other manager went AWOL), then a fancy boutique, and now it's vacant again. The apartments are still there, and Central Mall is now a struggling mall on the verge of becoming a dying mall. 4:08 The Pizza hut is gone it became a local Italian restaurant, then a Vietnamese restaurant, then by 2019 the building got torn down and is now a jewelry store stands. The Taco Bell lasted until 2017 is now a Family Law Firm. The grassy area on the hill got turned into various businesses, but the common ones are Realtors and Salons. Firestone is still around, but the sign is gone. 4:27 The funeral home is still there. 4:32 Channel 5 like all the other stations have abandon us for NWA area. Fun fact the old FS NBC station in now a U.S. Department of Homeland Security branch office.... You can add your own conspiracy theories if you want I won't judge. LOL 4:37 Gone and is now a Pic N Tote stands (the name will soon change) next to it was a smaller liquor store for many decades then it closed down and a tattoo parlor opened up until a fire put them out of business. The Texaco has become a tire shop. 4:57 Not sure about the 80's & 90's, but the 2000's onward the building with the junk out front has been a garage for customizing cars & still is. across the street it's been a bar (currently it's a Hispanic bar) 5:08 Midas Mufflers moved to Rogers Ave. The Masonic Lounge is now a entertainment venue. 5:14 The left side of South West Times Record building (the actual printing press area) is still there the Right Side is gone. They moved it to a new building in the early 2000's on Wheeler Ave. Little did they know the future of print, and there new building is left vacant while they moved to a small office location inside Central Mall (womp womp). 5:19 Gray building is gone, yellow building has been numerous businesses however it's now vacant, the cathedral is still around Superior is also gone too so is 5:25 Moss Seed Company 5:27 The left closest building is gone, but the other three you see are still around. though the one to the left is no longer a bank, but a Area Agency of Aging. 5:38 Buick/Pontiac dealer moved to S. 36th St. the old lot is now gone, and a clinic now stands. The building with the AC logo became a Harley Davidson dealer (Denny's) during the 80's thru the 90's until they moved to be next door to the Pontiac Dealer on S. 36th St. It's now fancy apartments. 5:57 Wise Electronics moved to Dodson Ave due to Sparks buy their property. Wise closed down in the 2000's. Irish Maid Do-Nuts they moved to but are still open just further down Towson all other buildings to the left is now parking space for the Hospital. To the right side of Towson is a Wendy's a now closed auto shop, and that bar I mentioned earlier. 6:01 to the right it's been various used car dealers even to this day. The Aamco moved to Wheeler Ave. it's now another auto repair shop. The restaurant with the Cow Statue is became Fenny's (a gas station) which has been there for decades, but the original owner sold it to others and retired. 6:15 The first Walmart in Fort Smith (can not remember the exact opening date) it remained open until they opened their 3rd location on Zero in 1984 (2nd location was on Rogers Ave.) it became a Indoor Flea Market soon after (later to be known as The Rainbow Connection) it closed in the very late 90's remained vacant until recently it's now private garage space rentals. The building behind the sign is still a Yamaha Dealer. 6:18 that Pizza Hut moved to Zero St., and became various other restaurants currently it's a "Fried Rice #2" (first one is on Midland Ave.) Motel is still there under various ownership throughout the years. 6:31 Arthur Treacher's Fish & Chips got shutdown due to Long John Silver's just a few blocks down the road taking away their customers. It became a Shipley Do-Nuts (their now on US Hwy 271), then a Wing King, and now it's a Thai Restaurant. 6:34 future home of the Riverside Furniture Factory, but it's now a logistics company as well as the main office for the local transit service. 6:40 the sign is gone when they remodeled the intersection in the 2000's.

OMG those memories! That Walmart on Towson Ave was located at 3715 Towson Ave it later relocated to zero street later became Atwoods then relocated to Supercenter

I want so badly to say FS has come along way but it's incredibly disheartening to see the most active bits of FS in 1975 become empty, decaying buildings circa 2023

Yknow what, i can still recognize ft smith!

Lotta them Barracks is gone now. Dag gum boyo lit 'em up during a dry spell.

was born in old st eds hospital and lived over on colony lane in 71 of course i was an infant , my grandparents lived on south Q my dad worked in the mall in the barber shop my mom went to nurses school at st edwards school of nursing . dad graduated at St Ann. i live in mulberry now.

I absolutely love this! I grew up here and it's so awesome seeing downtown Garrison Ave and other locations. Takes me back!

I lived there from 73 -75 great 1st grade at Sunnymeade

My dad retired from that Whirlpool plant. He was probably at work, that day.

I can see my peanut butter complexion BBC in this video

I used to live in fort Smith.... Downtown hasn't changed much.

im on thr bentoville area my has it changed both in Fort Smith and bentonville. i can probably where some things used to be on Fort smith

I was stationed at Fort Chaffee in 1959 for artillery training on 105 howitzer. Use to roller skate at USO.

Pert sure I went to Southside with Ed and his sister Sherrie.... I had a crush on her once! lol

I’m from Paris originally but I live here now, and I recognize some of these spots but hardly any, so amazing to see how it used to look

I was negative 17 years old in 1975 and ironically do not remember this at all.

This was a really awesome video thanks for posting it it was shot a year before I was born it's amazing to look back and see what Fort Smith used to look like

Thats amazing.

Just amazing footage and music!

Fabulous video. Great memories.

Definitely a blast from the past.

Great video! Very nostalgic.... Sure brings back a ton of memories. Especially the segment heading south on Towson Avenue across the railroad tracks. My beloved grandparents lived just a few blocks from there on Louisville. Thank you!!!!

Can someone timestamp Grand Ave?

wow jobs where did they go?????

I live in Fort Smith

Thank you

Thanks for sharing. Raised in Van Buren and remember all these places.

Use picture stabilizing software and resubmit this

What a great refresher. Born and raised in Fort Smith, but now live in Crawford County. I was 9 years old when this video was made. Things change so gradual, and sneak up on you. Sad to see ,but happy to I can still remember the town this way. Yes, it was a great childhood. Much like that show 'The Wonder Years'. Thanks for the remind.

Thats how it looked. Family lived in Colony South in 1971,72. 1972 moved to Barling. Summer of 1976 family moved to SoCal. I was back by 1980 or a little before. I've lived all over town. Still go to Fort Smith and cut it up on the motorcycles several times a year and hang out with friends of a lifetime.

In my 2nd year at U of A in 75 ---so this was a nice reminder of my childhood in Ft Smith