Trail of Tears National Historic Trail Fall Newsletter 2022

Read the latest project updates and completions from the National Trails Office of the National Park Service (NPS).

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Nicole Kemler is the new Sign Planning and Partnerships American Conservation Experience (ACE) fellow. She moved to Santa Fe in June, and recently graduated from UC Berkeley this past spring with a degree in Conservation and Resource Studies. While she will be primarily focusing on signing in the state of California she will also be supporting general sign planning for the Trail of Tears NHT and other NHTs. Outside of her time in the office, she loves to explore Santa Fe and find new walking trails. She is looking forward to developing signage as well as partnerships throughout her 18-month fellowship.

Certification Updates

NTIR staff worked with Mrs. Martha Stanley to certify the Pack-Allen-Stanley Homeplace “Rose Hill” in Fort Payne, AL. The Landmarks of DeKalb County assisted Mrs. Stanley in submitting the documentation for this certification. This site’s historic connections to the Trail of Tears go back to 1829, when Elizabeth “Betsy” Lowrey, daughter of Cherokee Chief Colonel John Lowrey, built her Rose Hill estate on 135 acres. Despite her wealth and influence, Betsy was forced to relocate to OK as part of the Benge Detachment on Sept. 28, 1838. In 2011, the Cultural Recovery Foundation completed a Reconnaissance Survey of the property and confirmed that the property bisects with the old 1836 road, in the path of Ross’s Landing, TN to Fort Payne, AL. Betsy died near Stilwell, OK in 1851. Ms. Stanley, a member of the National Society Colonial Dames XVII Century local Cherokee Chapter, is looking forward to working with NTIR on interpreting the trail on her site.

NTIR staff worked with the Charles A. and Billie L. Hall Family Foundation to certify the Charles Hall Museum and Heritage Center, located in Tellico Plains, TN. The Charles Hall Museum and Heritage Center is located at the beginning of the Cherohala Skyway, a national scenic byway that travels 43 miles through Cherokee National Forest in TN and the Nantahala National Forest in NC. The byway connects Tellico Plains, TN and Robbinsville, NC, and over 3 million vehicles pass by the museum each year with many thousands stopping to tour the museum. Dr. Brett Riggs’ extensive research and oral histories demonstrate that over 3,000 Cherokee in several detachments walked through and camped in this area on the way from Fort Butler (Murphy) to the deportation station at Fort Cass (Charleston, TN). The museum is dedicated to the preservation of its region’s history and heritage, and plan to work with NTIR staff and partners to develop trail-specific interpretative panels.

NTIR and the Coker Creek Welcome Center, located in Tellico Plains, TN, have entered into a partnership site certification agreement. The Welcome Center operates under the Coker Creek Heritage Group, a non-profit corporation dedicated to community service and the preservation of Coker Creek’s rich heritage and history. It is located beside the Unicoi Turnpike Trail, which was used during the 1838 Removal from Fort Butler to Fort Cass. Fort Armistead, a U.S. Army post used as gathering or transit points for the roundup of Cherokee and Creek during the forced removal, is located within a mile of the Welcome Center and along the trail. NTIR looks forward to working with the staff and partners on trail signage and interpretation.

Signage Updates

Sign plans were finalized and implemented in 2022 for: Gilmer County, GA; Cherokee County, GA; Murray County, GA; the City of Farmington, MO; The City of Memphis, TN; and Sequatchite County, TN. NTIR staff ordered replacement signs for Hickman County, KY due to tornado damage. Site Identification (ID) signs were ordered for Brown's Ferry Tavern, TN and the Museum of the Cherokee Indian, NC. ID signs were were installed at the Jacob Wolf House Historic Site in Norfork, AR.

Site Information Needed

We need help from the site experts! NTIR staff is working on creating Places webpages for sites across the Trail of Tears NHT. Creating this page has a number of benefits: your site and information will be featured in the NPS mobile app and across the NPS.gov websites, bringing your site to a wider audience. And it's very easy! Interested? NTIR staff is requesting that you fill out a Places Feature form. That's all it takes! This form prompts you for basic information about your site and the significance to the national historic trail.

Take a look at the Ross's Landing Page for an example.

Would you like to request a form? Do you have additional questions? Contact Em Kessler for more information. (Emily_Kessler@nps.gov)

Virtual Trail Stories & Experiences

Have you been following the trails on social media? You may have noticed an increase in articles, virtual visits, and virtual kids' activities. People can't travel to experience the trails in person, so NTIR has been working to bring the trails to your house. You can check out recent and past articles, become a junior ranger, take virtual visits to learn more about trail sites, and more - click the links below!