| 'True Grit' and local history |
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| Written by Lance Pendergraft |
| Thursday, 03 February 2011 00:00 |
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"True Grit" is one of the most memorable westerns ever created. In the original version, the film is about the murder of Mattie Ross’s (Kim Darby) father, and she is on a mission of "justice" to avenge her father's death. She recruits a tough, old marshal, "Rooster" Cogburn (John Wayne), because he has "grit," and a reputation for getting the job done. The two are joined by a Texas Ranger, La Boeuf, (Glen Campbell), who is looking for the same man (Jeff Corey) for a different murder that occurred in Texas. Their odyssey takes them from Fort Smith, Ark., deep into the Indian Territory (present day Oklahoma) to find their man.Kim Darby lived in the town of Dardanelle, when she received the part of Mattie Ross. Dardanelle is one of the oldest cities in the state of Arkansas. Officially incorporated in 1855, Dardanelle celebrated its 150th Anniversary in 2005. However, the area had been settled for years before that; it was first established as a river town in the mid-18th century. The town is Yell County's dual county seat, sharing the title with Danville. The Treaty of Council Oaks was signed on June 24, 1823 on what is now Front Street, beneath two huge, old oak trees (102 feet high and 400–500 years old). Under orders of President James Monroe, U.S. Army Colonel David Brearly and Arkansas Territorial Secretary Robert Crittendon met with Chief Black Fox and several Cherokee leaders to determine boundaries. As a result of the treaty, the Cherokees gave up all of their land in Arkansas located south of the Arkansas River. One of the two trees was destroyed in the early 1990s in a flood, but the other is still standing tall. That historic site is now a city park. There are many references to towns in Arkansas in the film. The beginning references Yell County, which is where the main character, Mattie Ross, is from. Yell County is Arkansas's 41st county. It was formed on Dec. 5, 1840 and named after Archibald Yell, who was the state's first member of the U.S. House of Representatives and the second governor of Arkansas. Fort Smith is also referenced in “True Grit” when Frank Ross, Mattie’s father, and Tom Chaney travel there to buy some horses. It is in this town that Chaney murders Ross. Fort Smith lies on the Arkansas-Oklahoma state border, situated at the junction of the Arkansas and Poteau Rivers, also known as Belle Point. The city began as a western frontier military post in 1817 and later became well known for both its role in the settling of the "wild west" and its law enforcement heritage. |