Fort Smith, AR — The Fort Smith Museum of History is honored to invite the public to a historic day on Saturday June 28, 2025, at 1:00 p.m.
In what will be a landmark moment for the Fort Smith Museum of History, guests will experience history, intrigue, and the the unraveling of a legendary myth. Pulitzer Prize nominee and author Michael Wallis joins us for a special appearance and book-signing celebrating the release of his latest work, "Belle Starr: The Truth Behind the Wild West Legend". Wallis’s new book offers a fresh, rigorously researched perspective on the real woman behind the legend, challenging long-standing myths and bringing history vividly to life. His program will offer guests an engaging look at the blurred lines between myth and fact—and the powerful stories that lie in between.
..."In the annals of legendary Wild West desperadoes, Belle Starr is remembered to this day as the Bandit Queen. Shortly after her murder in 1889, a highly romanticized, sensational book titled Bella Starr ... The Bandit Queen, or the Female Jesse James was published—the first in a series of high-profile portraits to brand Starr as a villain. Now, celebrated author Michael Wallis parses over a century of mythmaking to reveal the woman behind the renegade legend...
...Michael Wallis, author of The Best Land Under Heaven and the best-selling Route 66 and Billy the Kid, has published nineteen books and won numerous awards and honors. He is a popular public speaker and voice actor and lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma."
Adding to the significance of the day is the debut of Belle Starr, Her Story, a new, permanent, and extraordinary exhibition that brings to life the complex legacy of one of the most mythologized women of the American West. The exhibit is built around a remarkable collection acquired in January 2023 from the Ruth I. Kolpin Foundation in Carthage, Missouri, which includes personal belongings and family heirlooms of Belle Starr and her descendants—many never before seen by the public.
The afternoon program will include refreshments, a program and book-signing by Mr. Wallis--with the opportunity to purchase signed copies of his book, and a first look at the Belle Starr, Her Story exhibition. Belle Starr: The Truth Behind the Wild West Legend retails for $32.99 plus tax. FSMH members receive a discount upon purchase. This event is free and open to the public. Seating is limited. Tickets:
https://www.fortsmithmuseum.org/events-1
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