Monday Musing: Write What You Know: True Grit Edition
This weekend was my mother's birthday. To celebrate, my sister and I took her downtown to ride the restored trolley. The volunteers at the historic site are very excited, so we received a pretty good education in local history. That's the inspiration behind today's Monday Musing: an example of write what you know.
In 1968 an Arkansas native named Charles Portis wrote a serialized novel for the Saturday Evening Post. The novel told a story of a teenaged girl tracking her father's killer. You may not be familiar with the name Charles Portis, but you are probably familiar with his novel, which he entitled True Grit.
When Portis looked to write a western narrative, he didn't invent his characters from his own imagination. Nor did he construct the setting from whole cloth. Instead he borrowed from the region that he was from. The main character of the novel, Mattie Ross, is from Dardinelle Arkansas. The time period of the novel is set in the late 1800's, under the tenure of Judge Isaac C. Parker. Parker has been known as The Hanging Judge because during his tenure, Fort Smith was the execution capitol of the world. (The History Channel focused on this for an episode of their 2003 series Wild West Tech. Episode 1-2, Execution Tech was filmed at the Fort Smith National Historic Site).
Parker was sent to Fort Smith by President Grant to administer justice over the western part of Arkansas and Indian Territories. He came in to replace a corrupt judge named William Storey. During Parker's time on the bench, 79 people that he sentenced were hung. Ironically, Parker despised the death penalty. He handed down the sentence when it was mandatory, which was when a jury found a person guilty of rape or murder. But he also was fond of saying that "I never hung a man. It was the law that did that." Parker would have probably preferred to have been known for advocating the rights of the Indian nations, rehabilitating prisoners and bringing reform to the justice system.
In the history of Fort Smith, there was only two mass hanging like the kind shown in the movie True Grit. The first being that of the Rufus Buck Gang. Most men were executed one at a time, although there may be several men executed in a day. The mass execution made international news.
Executions were typically held on Fridays. Seven executions were open to the general public, from 1873 through 1876. During this time, spectators would begin to arrive on Thursday morning so that they could claim a good location to view the hanging and set up encampments on the courthouse lawn. According to our trolley driver, the atmosphere would feel somewhat like a tailgate party before a Razorbacks football game. After 1876, the executions were closed to the public and the fence was built around the gallows. After that point, less than 50 spectators were generally allowed to witness the executions. Parker never attended an execution.
Parker's Jail was down in the basement of the courthouse. It was dingy and dark. In summer it was too hot. In winter it was too cold. Because of the conditions in the jail, prisoners called it Hell on the Border.
It's probably likely that Portus based Rooster Cogburn on several different deputies that served under Parker. The deputy that most resembles Rooster Cogburn is Deputy U.S. Marshal Calvin Whitson. "Cal" as he was known to his friends was the only US Marshall's Deputy under Parker who had one eye. Whitson lost his eye while serving with the 3rd Arkansas Calvary in the Union during the Civil War (Fort Smith was under Confederate control the first 2 years, and then under Union control the final portion of the war).
Some of the other deputy marshals that served under Parker that may have contributed to Rooser Cogburn include Frank Canton, Bass Reeves, Heck Thomas, and Frank Eaton.
"Cal" Whitson, "Heck" Thomas and Bass Reeves are three Deputy U.S. Marshals who served under Parker and may have contributed to the character of Rooster Cogburn.
In the book and movie, Cogburn is thought to have lost his eye serving as one of Quantrill's raiders. Here Cogburn differs from Cal Wilson in that he had Confederate sympathies. Quantrill's raiders was a Confederate group of horseback guerrilla-style soldiers. The majority of the outfit later formed the James-Younger group. The group had ties to the Fort Smith area through Myra Maybelle Shirley Reed Star (Better known as Belle Starr). Belle used to spy for Quantrill's raiders during the civil war, and grew up with the Younger brothers.
Belle's daughter, Pearl Star went on to run a successful brothel on "The Row" a strip of riverfront brothels and casinos that sat between the river and the train tracks outside of Fort Smith.
Miss Laura's social club was the only building on "The Row" that survived a fire in 1910 after an oil storage tank exploded. Because the fire sent ladies and their visitors into the streets to flee the burning buildings, it was known as 'The Night of the Lingeree Parade.' The building is now Fort Smith's welcome center. It's the only welcome center in the country that is held in an old brothel. It is also the only brothel listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The building was a 'social club' from 1898 until 1948.
One of the major differences that I've always noticed between the movie and the book is the scenery. Ouray Colorado stands in for True Grit in the John Wayne movie. Parts of New Mexico and Texas serve as the scenery for the second movie.
On the left is the courthouse from Ouray. On the right is a photo of the actual federal Courthouse and jail that Judge Parker used. Notice a lack of mountains on the actual courthouse? That's because Fort Smith is located on a river across from Oklahoma. And while we're not more than a mile from the start of the Ozark Mountains, Oklahoma is flat.
The Coen brothers have said that the newer movie will be closer in spirit to the book. Their sets certainly look more like the actual Fort Smith. You can see some of the set photos here and here. Compared with some pictures of Fort Smith's Garrison Avenue at about that time here, here, here.
True Grit will be out this Wednesday locally. If you are planning on seeing it, I hope you enjoy yourself. And while you watch it, remember that Portus wrote a darn good western. But he also wrote what he knew.
***
The holidays are getting away from me a little bit. So I will be putting my blog on break for a few weeks. I should start posting regularly again the Monday after the New Year. Please check back then. My author guest for that Tuesday will be Cleolinda Jones, author of Movies in 15 minutes and The Secret Life of Dolls.
In 1968 an Arkansas native named Charles Portis wrote a serialized novel for the Saturday Evening Post. The novel told a story of a teenaged girl tracking her father's killer. You may not be familiar with the name Charles Portis, but you are probably familiar with his novel, which he entitled True Grit.
When Portis looked to write a western narrative, he didn't invent his characters from his own imagination. Nor did he construct the setting from whole cloth. Instead he borrowed from the region that he was from. The main character of the novel, Mattie Ross, is from Dardinelle Arkansas. The time period of the novel is set in the late 1800's, under the tenure of Judge Isaac C. Parker. Parker has been known as The Hanging Judge because during his tenure, Fort Smith was the execution capitol of the world. (The History Channel focused on this for an episode of their 2003 series Wild West Tech. Episode 1-2, Execution Tech was filmed at the Fort Smith National Historic Site).
Parker was sent to Fort Smith by President Grant to administer justice over the western part of Arkansas and Indian Territories. He came in to replace a corrupt judge named William Storey. During Parker's time on the bench, 79 people that he sentenced were hung. Ironically, Parker despised the death penalty. He handed down the sentence when it was mandatory, which was when a jury found a person guilty of rape or murder. But he also was fond of saying that "I never hung a man. It was the law that did that." Parker would have probably preferred to have been known for advocating the rights of the Indian nations, rehabilitating prisoners and bringing reform to the justice system.
In the history of Fort Smith, there was only two mass hanging like the kind shown in the movie True Grit. The first being that of the Rufus Buck Gang. Most men were executed one at a time, although there may be several men executed in a day. The mass execution made international news.
Executions were typically held on Fridays. Seven executions were open to the general public, from 1873 through 1876. During this time, spectators would begin to arrive on Thursday morning so that they could claim a good location to view the hanging and set up encampments on the courthouse lawn. According to our trolley driver, the atmosphere would feel somewhat like a tailgate party before a Razorbacks football game. After 1876, the executions were closed to the public and the fence was built around the gallows. After that point, less than 50 spectators were generally allowed to witness the executions. Parker never attended an execution.
Parker's Jail was down in the basement of the courthouse. It was dingy and dark. In summer it was too hot. In winter it was too cold. Because of the conditions in the jail, prisoners called it Hell on the Border.
It's probably likely that Portus based Rooster Cogburn on several different deputies that served under Parker. The deputy that most resembles Rooster Cogburn is Deputy U.S. Marshal Calvin Whitson. "Cal" as he was known to his friends was the only US Marshall's Deputy under Parker who had one eye. Whitson lost his eye while serving with the 3rd Arkansas Calvary in the Union during the Civil War (Fort Smith was under Confederate control the first 2 years, and then under Union control the final portion of the war).
Some of the other deputy marshals that served under Parker that may have contributed to Rooser Cogburn include Frank Canton, Bass Reeves, Heck Thomas, and Frank Eaton.
"Cal" Whitson, "Heck" Thomas and Bass Reeves are three Deputy U.S. Marshals who served under Parker and may have contributed to the character of Rooster Cogburn.
In the book and movie, Cogburn is thought to have lost his eye serving as one of Quantrill's raiders. Here Cogburn differs from Cal Wilson in that he had Confederate sympathies. Quantrill's raiders was a Confederate group of horseback guerrilla-style soldiers. The majority of the outfit later formed the James-Younger group. The group had ties to the Fort Smith area through Myra Maybelle Shirley Reed Star (Better known as Belle Starr). Belle used to spy for Quantrill's raiders during the civil war, and grew up with the Younger brothers.
Belle's daughter, Pearl Star went on to run a successful brothel on "The Row" a strip of riverfront brothels and casinos that sat between the river and the train tracks outside of Fort Smith.
Miss Laura's social club was the only building on "The Row" that survived a fire in 1910 after an oil storage tank exploded. Because the fire sent ladies and their visitors into the streets to flee the burning buildings, it was known as 'The Night of the Lingeree Parade.' The building is now Fort Smith's welcome center. It's the only welcome center in the country that is held in an old brothel. It is also the only brothel listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The building was a 'social club' from 1898 until 1948.
One of the major differences that I've always noticed between the movie and the book is the scenery. Ouray Colorado stands in for True Grit in the John Wayne movie. Parts of New Mexico and Texas serve as the scenery for the second movie.
On the left is the courthouse from Ouray. On the right is a photo of the actual federal Courthouse and jail that Judge Parker used. Notice a lack of mountains on the actual courthouse? That's because Fort Smith is located on a river across from Oklahoma. And while we're not more than a mile from the start of the Ozark Mountains, Oklahoma is flat.
The Coen brothers have said that the newer movie will be closer in spirit to the book. Their sets certainly look more like the actual Fort Smith. You can see some of the set photos here and here. Compared with some pictures of Fort Smith's Garrison Avenue at about that time here, here, here.
True Grit will be out this Wednesday locally. If you are planning on seeing it, I hope you enjoy yourself. And while you watch it, remember that Portus wrote a darn good western. But he also wrote what he knew.
***
The holidays are getting away from me a little bit. So I will be putting my blog on break for a few weeks. I should start posting regularly again the Monday after the New Year. Please check back then. My author guest for that Tuesday will be Cleolinda Jones, author of Movies in 15 minutes and The Secret Life of Dolls.