On April 21, 1876, this was the site of the execution of five men. With a motive of robbery, Gibson Ishtanubbee and Isham Seely murdered a white farmer and his housekeeper on May 10, 1873.

For twenty- three years, the federal court carried out executions on the gallows at Fort Smith. In thirty- nine separate executions, a total of eighty- six men were put to death after being found guilty of rape or murder. More men were put to death by the U.S. Government in Fort Smith than in any other place in American history. These executions, as well as the crimes and trials that lead to them, form a unique and fascinating part of the eighty year story of Fort Smith.

Isham Seeley
Died: April 21, 1876
Buried: Potters Field Section of the
Oak Cemetery at
Fort Smith, Arkansas
Block 11, Range 2