Because northwest Arkansas is one of the fastest-growing regions in the country, Arkansans read daily about exciting developments in Washington and Benton counties. To the south, the old manufacturing city of Fort Smith has lived in that shadow.
I never drive around Fort Chaffee without thinking about its rich history. From German prisoners in World War II to refugees from Southeast Asia following the Vietnam War and Cuban refugees in 1980, it has played a role in Arkansas history for more than eight decades.