You are now standing inside the lower courtroom. Historically, the lower courtroom hosted local courts such as the Justice of the Peace or County Courts, whereas the District Court, which handled felonies and more serious civil litigation, would convene in the larger courtroom upstairs. One notable trial that may have been held in the lower courtroom occurred sometime in the nineteen-teens when a local farm boy from Telico was arrested for stealing chickens from his neighbors. The justice of the peace let the boy off with only a warning – a decision that the justice would likely regret for the rest of his life. The boy’s name was Clyde Barrow, who with his girlfriend & accomplice Bonnie, would go on to become one of American history’s most notorious criminals.

     The lower courtroom is not only known for what might have happened here historically, but also for what most certainly did happen here recently. In the Spring of 2023, King Street Productions, an affiliate of Paramount, utilized this courtroom to film several scenes in a new western TV series by Taylor Sheridan, the creator of Yellowstone and 1883. The new show, Lawmen: Bass Reeves, chronicles the adventures of Bass Reeves, the first black U.S. marshal. A former slave from Texas, Reeves apprehended more than 3,000 wanted men in the 1870’s and 1880’s in the “Indian Territory” – present-day Oklahoma – exploits which are believed to have inspired many of the stories of the Lone Ranger radio serials of the 1930’s. Reeves would bring his prisoners before Judge Isaac Parker – the “hangin’ judge” – in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Parker’s courtroom was depicted in this courtroom for the show. To better recreate the Old West era, film set designers temporarily removed the individual audience seats and replaced them with church pew-like benches, and they also replaced the modern chandeliers with faux gas lanterns. The actor who played Judge Parker was legendary Canadian screen personality Donald Sutherland, who was also known for his role in classic comedy TV shows and for playing President Sno in The Hunger Games. Bass Reeves was Sutherland’s last major role before he passed away in the summer of 2024. The scenes he filmed in this room can be first seen in episode 3 of the series.