Located on the Arkansas River where the state of Arkansas meets Oklahoma, Fort Smith is the western gateway to Arkansas. The former military fort was situated with great purpose in 1817 to separate warring native tribes, and its location continues to serve Fort Smith today as a manufacturing and tourism destination. The Arkansas River Valley separates the Ozark Plateau from the Ouachita Mountains, giving Fort Smith visitors and residents a smorgasbord of outdoor activities in which to participate. Fort Smith is known as the Wild West town of Arkansas, capitalizing on its history as a frontier military installation and the site of "Hanging" Judge Parker's notorious courtroom. During and just after the Civil War, former slaves and refugees from repressive regimes found a temporary home in Fort Smith and nearby Fort Chaffee in anticipation of a more democratic style of life. Today, Fort Smith remains a gateway to and from the west as a mecca for manufacturing businesses and as a burgeoning tourist destination on its own merits.