Historic Washington was an important stop on the Southwest Trail, and James Bowie, Sam Houston and Davy Crockett all passed through. A local blacksmith, James Black, forged the legendary Bowie knife here, and from 1863 to 1865 the town served as the Confederate capital of Arkansas. The 1874 Courthouse is the visitor center, and from there visitors go on to the Blacksmith Shop, Weapons Museum, Print Museum and other buildings that make up the largest collection of 19th-century buildings in the state. The visitor center is open daily 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.