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Trail of Tears National Historic Trail
Trail of
TearsAssociation
Trail News
Newsletter of the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail Partnership • March 2008 - Number 12
• TOTA President’s Message............... 2• NPS Superintendent’s Message....... 2• TOTA Chapter News.................... 3-5• Conoboy Retires............................. 6• SRC Research Day........................... 7• Historic Trails Workshop.................. 7• Passport Program............................ 7• IMLS Museum Program Grant........ 9• Smithsonian Visit........................... 10• TOTA Conference...........................11• Austin Takes New Position..............11• Trail Calendar................................. 11
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Wamp Introduces Legislation for Inclusion of Additional Routes
On Friday, February 8, 2008, U. S. Rep. ZachWamp of Tennessee introduced legislation(H.R. 5335) that would add 2,800 miles tothe existing Trail of Tears National HistoricTrail. The proposed additions are the Benge
and Bell Routes; the land components ofthe designated water routes in Alabama,Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Tennessee; theroutes from the collection forts in Alabama,Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee tothe emigration depots; and the relatedcampgrounds located along these routesand land components. In addition, the billhas extensive private property rights protec-tions. The bill has been referred to theCommittee on Natural Resources, andCongressman Wamp’s office is pushing forenactment of the bill by this summer.
In November, the National Park ServiceNational Trails System office completed thefeasibility study and environmental assess-ment for the additional routes of the Trail ofTears National Historic Trail. As of early
January, the studywas under review bythe NPS Director'soffice. After that iscompleted, theDepartment ofInterior and theOffice ofManagement andBudget must approveit before it is submit-ted to Congress forconsideration.
The feasibility study,which is actually anamendment to theoriginal 1986 Trail ofTears FeasibilityStudy, addressed thedesirability and feasi-bility of designating
the Bell Route, the Benge Route, the landcomponents of the water detachment routes,the roundup routes, the disbandment routes,and associated camp sites, as part of theTrail of Tears National Historic Trail. Thestudy concluded that all of the above com-ponents met the criteria of the nationalTrails System Act and that there was publicsupport and interest in them. Ultimately, itwill be up to Congress to determine whetherthey will become part of the NationalHistoric Trail. Keep tuned! For more infor-mation visit www.nps.gov/trte and link tothe Additional Routes Feasibility Study.
Wamp had 20 co-sponsors for the bill,including: Robert Aderholt and RobertCramer of Alabama; Marion Berry, JohnBoozman, and Vic Snyder of Arkansas;Nathan Deal, Phil Gingrey, and Tom Priceof Georgia; Ed Whitfield of Kentucky; JoAnn Emerson of Missouri; Heath Shuler ofNorth Carolina; Dan Boren, Tom Cole,
Mary Fallin, Frank Lucas, and John Sullivanof Oklahoma; and Stephen Cohen, LincolnDavis, John Duncan, and John Tanner ofTennessee.
During the week of February 11, 2008, Trailof Tears Association board members TroyPoteete and Duane King and staff PaulAustin and Jerra Quinton met with
Trail of Tears Association board members Duane King (second from left) and TroyPoteete (second from right) and staff members Jerra Quinton (far left) and PaulAustin (far right) meet with Congressman Zach Wamp (center) in Washington, D.C.,on February 12, 2008, to talk about the Trail of Tears legislation he just intro-duced, which would add 2800 miles to the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail.
Photo courtesy of Duane King
See LEGISLATION, page 6
“Through this legislation, wewill honor the historic foot-steps taken by the Cherokee,document their courage andhighlight their character as agreat tribe of strong people. ”
by Aaron Mahr and Jerra Quinton
March 2008 • Trail of Tears National Historic Trail News 3
Trail of Tears Association State Chapter NewsKentucky
More Chapter News, pages 4 & 5
Georgia
The Radford Farm certification wasreceived by owners in October 2007 andannounced at the annual TOTA conferencein Rome, Georgia, by John Conoboy of theNational Trails System – Santa Fe office ofthe NPS. The Kentucky chapter wishes Johnthe best in his retirement.
A follow-up planning meeting on MantleRock public use was held on January 29th,in Paducah. Among those in attendancewere NPS staff Aaron Mahr, Steve Burnsand Andrea Sharon. Also participating wereDavid Pollock and Tressa Brown of theKentucky Heritage Council and Kentuckychapter members Beverly Baker, Ann Day,Carla Hildebrand, Alice Murphree, AnnRead, and Shelly Morris, also a representa-tive for the Nature Conservancy, whichowns the Mantle Rock property.
National Park Service, Nature Conservancy, andKentucky Heritage Commission staff recently visitedthe Mantle Rock site to begin site planning fordevelopment of visitor facilities. Together with theTOTA Kentucky chapter, they started planning for aretracement experience along the Salem toGolconda Road at the site that would include hikingand retracement trails, parking, signing and devel-opment of wayside interpretive exhibits.
The Georgia chapter has a new leadershipteam with Jeff Bishop and Leslie Thomastaking office as president and vice-presi-dent, respectively. Bishop, an award-win-ning journalist, served as vice-president ofthe Georgia chapter last year and just fin-ished a Challenge Cost-Share report on theJohn Ross House for the National ParkService. Thomas has been in charge of thechapter’s newsletter, Moccasin Tracks, forthe past several years as Publicity Chair. Shealso serves as president of the GilmerCounty Historical Society.
Big projects for 2008 include:• “TOTAbase,” an online cooperative
research database for chapter members. The online database, to which members will regularly contribute, will include period maps, photographs, plats, valua-tions, newspaper clippings, and other documents to assist in the documentation and NPS certification of Removal-related sites and routes.
• A February 16th research workshop at New Echota.
• The opening of wayside exhibits at a Cedartown public park, the former site ofa Removal camp.
• An NPS Challenge Cost-Share to perform archaeology on the Removal fort and camp sites researched by Sarah Hill, Ph.D., in 2005, so that they can be inter-preted and certified.
• A publishing program, which will include the possible reprinting of out-of-print books related to the Removal in Georgia, the publication of new works, and a book for Georgia school children.
• Chapter planning projects, such as a poli-cies and procedures manual, a chapter budget, a chapter bylaws revision, and the formation of a new Outreach Committee to forge alliances with historical societies, museums, and institutions.
• A project with a dendrochronologist from the University of West Georgia to defini-tively date possible Cherokee-built struc-tures in Georgia.
For more information regarding theGeorgia chapter and its activities, contactJeff Bishop at [email protected].
The North Carolina chapter met onOctober 6th and on January 12th. TheOctober meeting was held at the CherokeeHistorical Association building in Cherokeeand was scheduled to coincide with theannual Cherokee Fall Fair. The programwas presented by Dr. Hartwell Francis, alinguist with the Cherokee Studies programat Western Carolina University. His presen-tation focused on the Cherokee languagerevitalization projects in North Carolina.
The January meeting was held in Murphy,with a presentation by Dr. David Cozzo onthe revitalization of traditional Cherokeearts and crafts. Dr. Cozzo, an ethnob-otanist, is working with the Eastern Band ofCherokee Indians to promote resourcepreservation used in traditional basket andcarving production. Among these resourcesare river cane, white oak, and blood root.
The chapter continues to be involved in theproduction and placement of signs whichindicate sites involved in the 1838 removal.This project has been directed and execut-ed by Brett Riggs, Ph.D., of the Universityof North Carolina – Chapel Hill. RodneySnedeker, archaeologist for the NationalForests in North Carolina, has been helpfulin arranging for signs to be placed alongsections of the Trail located within theNantahala National Forest. Diane Wells,vice-president of the North Carolina chap-ter, is working with the state’s Departmentof Transportation to arrange for placementin other areas. Russell Townsend, TribalHistoric Preservation Officer for theEastern Band, has designated a place for asign on the Qualla Boundary. Support forconstruction of signs was provided by theCherokee Preservation Foundation.
The next chapter meeting will be held atthe Terrace Hotel at the Lake JunaluskaAssembly Grounds in Waynesville. Themeeting is tentatively scheduled to begin at2 p.m. Barbara Duncan, Education Directorof the Museum of the Cherokee Indian,will present on the Cherokee clothing stylesof the late 1700s and early 1800s.
North Carolina
Research by chapter members will be cen-tered this spring in the Livingston Countyarea, centering on John Berry, owner ofBerry’s Ferry, and his land holdings there atthe Ohio River, as well as the road fromSalem to the river. Ann Day, who was bornand raised in the area, is proving to be veryhelpful on this project. Chapter membersBeverly Baker, Alice Murphree, and DarrellLatch met late in 2007 to work on theHopkinsville to Salem route. Of concern isthe proposed road-widening along part ofthe route around Fredonia.
The Kentucky chapter bids a very fondfarewell to TOTA Executive Director PaulAustin. Paul, you will be sorely missed, andyou leave behind some HUGE shoes to fill.
has been animpetus formany of us toincrease ourcommitmentto the Trail.We wish himthe very bestin his newposition asdirector ofthe ArkansasHumanitiesCouncil. We
are not saying goodbye, however, as weexpect to see you, Paul, at many of ourmeetings and look forward to your continu-ing support of the organization.
Jack D. Baker
these efforts will make for a much moremeaningful experience for all visitors to theTrail. Further, this may well be the year thatthe Trail routes are expanded by Congress!
It is with regret that we accept the resigna-tion of Paul Austin as our ExecutiveDirector. Much of the advancement thatthe Trail has seen in the last few years is adirect result of Paul’s work and leadership.Paul was instrumental in the organization ofthe Trail of Tears Association in 1993. It washis willingness to accept the responsibilityof housing the Association’s office at theAmerican Indian Center that enabled theAssociation to grow. Without their main-taining our financial and membershiprecords it would have been very difficult forthe Association to function. Even moreimportant, his dedication to the Association
On behalf of the National Association, I would like to express our appreciation tothe Georgia chapter and particularly theconference planning committee for makingour Annual Conference and Symposium agreat success. All of your hard work wasapparent from planning the receptions andtrips to the abundance of great door prizes.Thanks for a great conference!
This year should be a great year for the Trailof Tears National Historic Trail. All of thechapters have been working diligently tolocate and preserve Trail sites. Many of theprojects are beginning to come to fruition. I believe that this year there will be a greatdeal of progress made in the developmentof sites all along the Trail. This will includeadditional signage, development of Trailsegments and more wayside exhibits. All of
Trail of Tears Association President’s Message
2 Trail of Tears National Historic Trail News • March 2008
National Trails System Office Superintendent’s Message
Jack Baker, President of the Trail ofTears Association
We’re in a time of significant change in theNational Trails System office in Santa Fe. Asall of you know, Superintendent JereKrakow ended his long and distinguishedcareer in the National Park Service in earlyJnuary of 2007. Following Jere’s departure,John Conoboy assumed the reigns ofActing Superintendent until I was chosen asJere’s successor and becameSuperintendent in April. I faced many chal-lenges in my new position, but none was asgreat asmakingthe transi-tion froma memberof theteam toleader. Ianticipat-ed a timeof awk-wardnessand diffi-culty asmy colleagues and I became familiar withthe new working relationship in our office.However, I was greatly humbled by the sup-
port, kindness, and decency the staff hasshown, and my thanks go out to each ofthem.
Other significant challenges have occurredin the last eight months. In the fall, JohnConoboy announced his retirement after a32-year career in the National Park Service.John has been part of the Long DistanceTrails and National Trails System officessince 1989. These were critical years in thedevelopment of the Trail of Tears NationalHistoric Trail and the National TrailsSystem. I’m sure all of you will join me inthanking John for his years of dedicatedservice to the development of the trail andwish him well as he begins this new andexciting stage of life. Happy tunes John!
Other staffing changes have occurred sinceJohn’s departure. Dr. Sharon Brown, whomsome of you may remember led the Trail ofTears Interpretive Plan workshop inMemphis in 2002, will replace John as mymanagement assistant. Sharon has been mycolleague in the trails office since 2001. Iknow her to be a dedicated, intelligent,compassionate, and modest professional
and someone who possesses all the quali-ties I believe will make her a superb trailpartner and leader. Dr. Frank Norris, aregional historian in the NPS office inAnchorage, Alaska, has accepted the posi-tion of historian in the trails office. Frankjoined our staff in mid-January and you’lllearn more about him in the next newslet-ter. He will be spending a good portion ofhis time, as I did (and do), on the Trail ofTears. And Otis Halfmoon has also accept-ed a position in the trails office as tribal liai-son expert. Otis will be dividing his timebetween the planning activities we’reinvolved in across the trails system, andcoordinating tribal consultation activitiesrelated to the numerous development proj-ects we’re doing along the trails. In thecoming months, I hope you all have theopportunity to meet and greet Sharon,Frank, and Otis and welcome them to theTrail of Tears National Historic Trail. Big changes, but big opportunities too!Thanks to all of you for your continuedsupport, and I’m looking forward to seeingyou on the trail!
Aaron Mahr
Aaron Mahr, Superintendent of theNational Trails System -Intermountain Region
Photo courtesy of Cherokee Nation
Trail of Tears Association State Chapter News
March 2008 • Trail of Tears National Historic Trail News 5
Alabama
Missouri (continued) Alabama (continued)
There was a board meeting and member-ship meeting at Tuscumbia Landing onAugust 18th. Those attending from theSheffield community expressed their inter-est and support for the upcoming dedica-tion of Tuscumbia Landing. On December1st, a meeting was held in Fort Payne. Theboard voted to hold the 2009 TOTAConference in Alabama. Sharon Freemanand Larry Smith presented the program onpotential sites to be certified. Those attend-ing from the Fort Payne area were especial-ly interested in hearing about the future ofthe “chimney site” owned by Landmarks ofDeKalb County. After the meeting, several
The Tennessee chapter now has activemembers from east to west Tennesseeworking to inform people of the removaland the chapter’s efforts to document andpreserve sites and segments of the trail. AtKnoxville we have Vickie Rozema at theUniversity of Tennessee, at Decatur ShirleyLawrence with the Cherokee RemovalMemorial Park, on the Cumberland PlateauAgnes and Bill Jones with segments alongthe Mountain route, at Monteagle DorisTrevinoon the Bell Route, at WinchesterFloyd Ayers on the Bell Route, at Pulaski
Tennessee First Lady Andrea Conte and TennesseeChapter President Bill Jones lead chapter memberson a hike of the Trail of Tears site, the Rocky RiverCrossing in Van Buren County, which was recentlyplaced on the National Register of Historic Places.
Photo courtesy of Agnes Jones
Division of Geology and Land Survey, inRolla, Missouri. Mr. Brown, who is nowretired from the Division of Geology andLand Survey, assisted the NPS with landsurvey archives for use in developing theMissouri trail segments for the original 1991Trail of Tears National Historic TrailComprehensive Management and Use Plan.The Division of Geology and Land Surveyoffice is located just a mile off I-44 at exit184, about a mile north of the Rolla Visitor’sCenter where the Northern Route of theTrail of Tears went through the area. Mr.Brown spoke about the land surveys andthe Northern Route and took questionsfrom the audience. Rolla is located betweenMissouri’s newest Trail of Tears NationalHistoric Trail certified sites along theNorthern Route. The three sites are alllocated a few miles off I-44 — Waynesville/Roubidoux Springs to the west about 25miles, and Maramec Spring/ Massey IronWorks and the Snelson Brinker Cabin to theeast about 25 miles.
The summer Missouri chapter meeting willbe held at the Trail of Tears State Park inJackson, Missouri, at 1p.m. on July 21, 2008.
For more information on either meeting orthe Missouri chapter, contact either DelorisGray Wood at (573) 729-2545, [email protected], orDenise Dowling at (573) 290-5268,[email protected].
Tennessee (continued)
chapter members went on a tour of OldTurkeytown near Gadsden, Alabama, led byEtowah Historical Society members DannyCrownover and Jerry Jones.
On September 8th, Tuscumbia Landing wasofficially dedicated. Otis Halfmoon repre-sented the National Park Service, and therewere representatives from the ChickasawNation of Oklahoma, the Creek Nation ofOklahoma, the Poarch Creek of Alabama,and several American Indian institutionsand organizations. Representatives from theAlabama Historical Commission and theAlabama Department of Transportation,and many local officials were in attendance.Total attendance reached over 150.
On Friday, December 7th, Sharon Freeman,chapter board member and archaeologistwith the Office of Archaeological Researchat the University of Alabama, with the helpof chapter members Larry Benefield, GailKing, Marty King, Ellen Mussleman, andLarry Smith, as well as many volunteersfrom the Fort Payne community, set up the“chimney site” in downtown Fort Payne fora Phase I survey. Shovel tests were conduct-ed around the chimney site (oral historystates that it was the military fort, more like-ly the military headquarters). A 22-footdeep well, lined with rocks hand-placed in aperfect circle, was the highlight of the twodays spent at the site. A great deal of grati-tude goes to Landmarks for fencing the site.The chapter will be returning in Februaryto finish the survey.
Tennessee
Anne Story with the Giles County Trail ofTears Memorial Park on both the Bells andBenge Route, at Lawrenceburg VickyGarland on the Bell Route, and at MemphisGraydon Swisher on the Bell and otherroutes. We are also privileged to have theassistance of Bob Richards, the new trailscoordinaor of the Tennessee Department ofEnvironment and Conservation. Mr.Richards has applied for grants to redo thesignage along the auto tour route.
The Huber Cooperation has committed todonate 4.5 miles of the Northern Route in
Van Buren County to the people ofTennessee this fall, and the information cen-ter at the removal memorial park at Blythe’sFerry should be completed by August.
The following are the Tennessee chaptermeetings for 2008:• June 28, Chapel Hill – 11 a.m. Central
Time, Henry Horton State Park, located 40 miles south of Nashville on US 31A between Chapel Hill and Lewisburg.
• August 9, Birchwood – 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time, Blythe Ferry, located just off Hwy. 60 at the Tennessee River, between Dayton and Georgetown.
• November 1, Lawrenceburg – 11:00 a.m. Central Time, location to be determined.
Trail of Tears Association State Chapter NewsIllinois
Arkansas
Norman Brown was the guest speaker atthe spring Missouri chapter meeting onMarch 1, 2008, in the conference room ofthe Department of Natural Resources
The Arkansas chapter’s 2008 scheduleincludes major events to which all TOTAmembers and others are invited:• May 3, Little Rock – We celebrate
Arkansas Heritage Month with a 1 p.m. program at Old State House Museum, 300 W. Markham. Amanda Paige will discuss early Arkansas governors and Indian Removal.
• July 19, Van Buren – Our 1 p.m. summer program at the Crawford County Extension office, 105 Pointer Trail West, will focus on river and road routes through western Arkansas. We especially hope TOTA mem-bers from Oklahoma and Missouri will join us. One topic will be the University ofArkansas’ efforts to restore the Van Buren home of Indian agent John Drennen.
• September 21-25, Little Rock – A pre-conference research day at UALR’s Sequoyah Research Center will kick offTOTA’s 13th annual Conference & Symposium. Under Dan Littlefield’s lead-ership, SRC has amassed the largest collec-tion of Indian Removal documents outside of the National Archives. Little Rock’s location on routes used by all southeast tribes promises a diverse program. Area sites to see include Mount Holly Cemeterywhere Quatie Ross is buried.
Of related interest, Little Rock will host theSequoyah Research Center SymposiumOctober 16-18 and the National TrailsSymposium November 15-18.
The sign is unveiled at the Crabb-Abbott Farm sitecertification ceremony.
Photo by Cheryl Jett
Missouri
The Illinois chapter held a site-certificationceremony on Tuesday, January 8th, at theCrabb-Abbott Farm near Grantsburg,Illinois, with local dignitaries, the entireIllinois chapter board of directors, NationalPark Service landscape architect SteveBurns Chavez, and a crowd of close to 100
people in attendance. Also present werereporters and cameramen from televisionstations affiliated with the three mainbroadcast networks – NBC, CBS, and ABC.Newspaper coverage both before and afterthe event came from various newspapersincluding the Southern Illinoisan. Trail seg-ments on the Crabb-Abbott Farm wereresearched and identified last fall during avisit to the farm by TOTA President JackBaker and Steve Burns Chavez. A day ofrain did not deter the crowd, and the newNPS sign was unveiled during a moving cer-emony. Chapter president Sandra Boaz hadresearched in Butrick’s Journal to find thaton January 8, 1839, similar weather — mildtemperatures with rain — had prevailed.Butrick wrote of the heavy rain formingstreams of water that found their waythrough the tents.
Mark your calendars for the spring generalmembership meeting at 1 p.m. on Saturday,March 29th, at the Saline County Museumin Harrisburg, Illinois. The Museum islocated at 1600 Feazel Street, just 0.2 milesnorth of U.S. Route 45 South in Harrisburg.This will be another oral history collectionmeeting continuing the Illinois Trail ofTears Oral History Project, which the chap-ter began last April with a kick-off event at
With the new year, the Oklahoma chapterhas hopes that the legislation introduced inCongress for the extension of the Trail ofTears will be signed into law. This accom-plishment would extend the NationalHistoric Trail to include the internmentcamps, roads, and forts of the Removal.Also, we look forward to the certification ofthe Woodall/Bushyhead depot and Mrs.Webber’s depot. The chapter continues tosearch for the other depot sites.
Many Removal documents were researchedand copied by an Oklahoma chapterresearch team on two trips to the NationalArchives in Washington, D. C., last year.These documents have now been given toDan Littlefield, Ph.D., at the SequoyahResearch Center in Little Rock, Arkansas.They are to be made available for researchby all TOTA members. At least one moretrip is planned to complete the research. Thechapter thanks Ed and Gwen Henshaw,Jack Baker, Marybelle Chase, Curtis Rohr,Dan Littlefield, and David Hampton fortheir time and dedication to this project.The chapter greatly appreciates MarybelleChase for organizing the vast amount ofdocument copies and David Hampton forscanning them for back-up purposes. Thechapter’s deepest appreciation goes to Dr.Littlefield whose help and direction madethe research possible and successful. Thechapter feels he is one of the greatestresearchers and assets of TOTA. The chap-ter also thanks Jerra Quinton, Paul Austin,and Anna Smith for helping with researchduring the last trip.
The next chapter meeting will be held onApril 19, 2008, in the ballroom behind theRestaurant of the Cherokees in Tahlequah,Oklahoma, from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Theguest speaker will be Dan Littlefield. Abreak for lunch will divide the meeting intotwo sessions. Lunch will be on your own.
Camp Ground Church in Union County.Videotaping, copying, and scanning serviceswill all be available at the Saline CountyMuseum event to record people’s stories,pictures, and documents. For more infor-mation or directions, please contact JoeCrabb at [email protected] or 618-949-3355.
Illinois (continued)Oklahoma
Updates from the Trail of Tears Association statechapters and their partners will routinelyappear in future issues of this newsletter.Contact Jerra Quinton, TOTA Associate Director,at [email protected], or at (501) 666-9032, tosubmit information and photographs.
March 2008 • Trail of Tears National Historic Trail News 7
A research day at the University of Arkansasat Little Rock’s Sequoyah Research Centerwill kick-off the September 22-25, 2008,conference of the Trail of Tears Association.
Sponsored by TOTA’s Arkansas chapter, theschedule at SRC that Monday, September22, will include Cherokee Trail of Tears pre-sentations with new information on thepeople of the Benge Detachment and onthe route of the Bell Detachment as clari-fied by military journals from MuscogeeRemoval. There will also be opportunitiesfor researchers to exchange informationabout the many removal routes traveled bysoutheast tribes. Details will be provided
Sequoyah Research Center, Arkansas Chapter to Offer Pre-conference Research Day
Following is a list of Trail of Tears certi-fied sites that are currently participatingin the Passport to Your National ParksProgram. If you are a certified TRTE sitewith a staffed visitor facility (visitor cen-ter, museum, etc.) and post regularlyscheduled hours of operation, you maybe able to participate in this program.Contact Andrea Sharon at (505) 988-6842 for further details.
Alabama• Little River Canyon National Preserve• Russell Cave National Monument
Arkansas • Lake Dardanelle State Park • Mount Nebo State Park• Petit Jean State Park• Pinnacle Mountain State Park• Fort Smith National Historic Site• Pea Ridge National Military Park • Arkansas Post National Historic Site
Georgia• New Echota State Historic Site• Chieftains Museum/Major Ridge Home• Vann House Historic Site• Chickamauga and Chattanooga
National Military Park
Illinois• Trail of Tears State Forest
Kentucky• Trail of Tears Commemorative Park
Missouri • Mark Twain National Forest-Potosi
Ranger Station • Visitor Center/Moccasin Springs Road/
Nancy Hildebrand’s Gravesite in Trail of Tears State Park
• Maramec Spring Park
North Carolina • Museum of the Cherokee Indian• Cherokee County Historical Museum • Junaluska Memorial and Museum• Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Oklahoma• Cherokee Heritage Center • Murrell Home
Tennessee • Red Clay State Historic Site • Sequoyah Birthplace Museum • Audubon Acres • Tennessee River Museum • Chattanooga Regional History Museum • Stones River National Battlefield• Great Smoky Mountains National Park
All TRTE States• National Trails System - Santa Fe office • Trail of Tears Association National
Office, Little Rock, AR
Passport to Your National Parks Trail of Tears 2008 Site Participants
by Kitty Sloan
by Andrea Sharon
with the conference schedule. Workshopsessions are free, but pre-registration will berequired.
Throughout the TOTA conference, SRC willbe open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and, by then,will be located in new quarters in Suite 500of University Plaza at the northeast cornerof Asher and University avenues, now partof the UALR campus.
SRC has amassed the largest collection ofprimary Indian Removal documents outsideof the National Archives. The collectionincludes microfilm, photocopies, transcrip-tions, and site reports as well as TOTA’s
archives. Some of the most recent additionswere located by members of the Oklahomachapter during two 2007 research trips toWashington, D.C., funded by the NationalPark Service’s Challenge Cost Share pro-gram. An every-name index of all non-microfilm Cherokee Removal documentscurrently at SRC will be ready by the confer-ence.
At its new location SRC will also have agallery to display selections from the Dr. J.W.Wiggins Native American Art Collection.
Watch for more details to be posted atwww.ualr.edu/sequoyahcenter.
PNTS to Host Historic Trails Workshop
The Partnership for the National TrailsSystem (PNTS) is hosting a Historic TrailsWorkshop in Phoenix, Arizona, May 6 - 8,2008. The three-day meeting will take placeat the Bureau of Land Management’sTraining Center and at the Sonoran DesertNational Monument. The theme for theworkshop will be “Historic TrailsPreservation.” Items that will be discussed,among others, are strategies, essential tools,applicable laws and regulations, and METtechniques (mapping, classification, etc.)for trail preservation.
If you are interested in attending this work-shop, contact Jerra Quinton at the NationalTOTA office at (501) 666-9032. TOTAchapters are especially encouraged to sendat least one representative from their chap-ter, preferrably someone who is interestedin trail preservation. PNTS will have somefunds available for assistance in getting peo-ple to the event, so please contact Jerra ifyour chapter cannot afford the cost forsomeone to go. Registration for the event isexpected to be under $100.
The PNTS has reserved rooms at a specialroom rate of $122 at the Four Points bySheraton Phoenix Metrocenter, which isonly a few blocks from the BLM TrainingCenter. To make your room reservation, call(602) 997-5900 by the deadline of April14, 2008, and ask for the “PNTS HistoricTrails Workshop” room block.
by Jerra Quinton
6 Trail of Tears National Historic Trail News • March 2008
Congressman Wamp about the legislation.The Congressman was very enthusiasticabout the bill. He stated, “The real humanside of the Cherokee removal still needs tobe told. While the existing Trail of TearsNational Historic Trail routes include trailsfrom the collection forts to where the Armymarched them in Oklahoma, the additionaltrails would show where the original vil-lages, camps and emigration depots of theCherokee once lay to enhance publicunderstanding of American history. Ourgreatness as a nation is our ability to look atour own history objectively, and in properperspective, being mindful of the errors ofthe past in order not to repeat them.Through this legislation, we will honor thehistoric footsteps taken by the Cherokee,document their courage and highlight theircharacter as a great tribe of strong people.The Trail of Tears is a tragic story, but prop-erly told and interpreted, it represents thedevelopment of strong character and deter-mination by the Cherokee people.” Poteete,Austin, and Quinton met with 3 co-spon-sors of the bill, as well, during their week inWashington—Marion Berry of Arkansas,Phil Gingrey of Georgia, and Dan Boren ofOklahoma. All three were very supportiveof the Trail and of the Association.
To see the exact language of the billCongressman Wamp introduced, visithttp://thomas.loc.gov/ and type in the billnumber (H.R. 5335) in the search engine.
LEGISLATIONContinued from page 1
Conoboy Retires from National Park ServiceJohn Conoboy, chief of interpretation andresource management, retired on January3rd after 32 years with the NPS.
John received a bachelor’s degree in geolo-gy from Case-Western Reserve Universityin 1967 and did graduate work in geologyand paleontology at California Institute ofTechnology and the University of Californiaat Davis. While living in California, Johntook up hiking, camping, and rock climb-ing, spending considerable time in Yosemiteand other parks, and like many, would won-der every time he saw a park ranger – “Howdo I get a job like that?”
The answer came while teaching scienceand photography at Sandy Spring FriendsSchool in Maryland in 1975 when John gothis first NPS job as a seasonalinterpreter/park technician at C&O CanalNational Historical Park. In July of 1976, heaccepted a permanent position at the C &O Canal as part of the river safety team.
In February of 1977, he transferred toMount Rainier NP as a visitorprotection/climbing ranger at Paradise. Itwas, he says, a quintessential ranger job, asit included emergency medical services,search and rescue, mountaineering, back-country skiing, avalanche prediction/res-cue, interpretation, law enforcement, andshoveling exceptionally large quantities ofsnow. When daughter Heather startedschool, he became the Nisqually arearanger at the Longmire District and was incharge of fee collection, campground oper-ations, road patrol, and area backcountry.He also served on a detail as a protectionranger at Crater Lake National Park in thewinter of 1980, where he further honed hisranger skills and snow shoveling technique.For several years, John was also a reservepolice officer for the city of Buckley,Washington.
John became chief ranger at Cedar BreaksNational Monument in June 1982, withresponsibility for all day-to-day operationsin the monument. These included protec-tion, interpretation, fee collection, resourcemanagement and maintenance, with addi-
tional ranger duties in the Kolob Canyonsection of Zion National Park. From Augustto November 1986, he served as actingsuperintendent at Cedar Breaks and forseveral years was a member and then ateam leader for one of the Rocky MountainRegion SET teams. Outside of work, heserved as a volunteer EMT on the CedarCity ambulance and was a National SkiPatrol senior patroller at nearby BrianHead Ski Area.
John transferred to the Southwest RegionalOffice Planning Division in August 1989 asan outdoor recreation planner for thenewly established Branch of Long DistanceTrails, working on the Santa Fe NationalHistoric Trail. The office soon took overresponsibility for the Trail of Tears NationalHistoric Trail and in 1995 the trail officesplit from the regional office to become afield area under a superintendent with Johnas chief of interpretation and resourcemanagement. The trail office has sincegrown, with the addition of responsibilityfor three more national historic trails, theRoute 66 corridor preservation program,national trail feasibility studies and plans,and the NPS Old Santa Fe Trail Building.
From early January to mid-April 2007, Johnserved as acting superintendent for theIntermountain Region trail offices in SantaFe and Salt Lake City. John says it has beenan exciting opportunity to participate in aperiod of rapid development of theNational Trails System, completing numer-ous projects with hundreds of trail part-ners, making many friends for the NationalPark Service beyond traditional NPS units,and helping develop policies and proce-dures for administering national trails.
John and his wife Carol, a teacher inBernalillo, New Mexico, will continue toreside in Corrales, where he will devotetime to playing Irish music, continuing toserve on the board of directors of Zoukfest(a Santa Fe-based world music camp),reading, traveling, trying to control almosttwo acres of tumbleweeds, and other inter-ests. John can be reached [email protected].
For almost two decades, John Conoboy (right)worked in the National Trails System - Santa Feoffice. His work in preserving and developing thenational historic trails through partnerships willhave a positive effect on the trail system for manydecades to come.
The Trail of Tears Association hasentered into a cooperative agreementwith the National Park Service to promoteand engage in the protection andpreservation of the Trail of Tears NHTresources; topromote awareness of theTrail’s legacy, including the effects ofthe U.S. Government’s Indian RemovalPolicy on the Cherokee and othertribes; and to perpetuate the manage-ment and development techniques thatare consistent with the NPS’s Trail plan.
Trail of Tears Association1100 North University, Suite 143Little Rock, Arkansas 72207
Phone800-441-4513501-666-9032
Websitewww.NationalTOTA.org
Trail of
TearsAssociation
Trail of TearsAssociation
Trail News is produced by the part-nership of the Trail of Tears Associationand the National Park Service NationalTrails System Office - Santa Fe.
Managing Editor/DesignerJerra Quinton
ContributorsPaul Austin, Jack Baker, John Conoboy,Duane King, Aaron Mahr, Jerra Quinton,Andrea Sharon, Kitty Sloan and TOTAstate chapters.
Photographer (unless otherwise noted)Andrea Sharon
Comments/Address Changes?Contact: Jerra Quinton
Trail of Tears Association1100 N. University, Suite 143Little Rock, AR [email protected]
Websitewww.nps.gov/trte
The National Trails System Office - SantaFe administers the Trail of Tears NHT,the Santa Fe NHT, and the Route 66Corridor Preservation Program. El CaminoReal de Tierra Adentro NHT is adminis-tered jointly by the National TrailsSystem Office-Santa Fe and the NewMexico State Office of the Bureau ofLand Management. These trail and cor-ridor programs are administered inpartnership with American Indiantribes; federal, state, and local agen-cies; non-government organizations;and private landowners.
National TrailsSystemOffice -Santa FePO Box 728Santa Fe, New Mexico 87504
Phone505-988-6888
National Park ServiceNational Trails System Office - Santa Fe
Trail of TearsNational Historic Trail
March 2008 • Trail of Tears National Historic Trail News 9
The Institute of Museum and LibraryServices (IMLS) is accepting grant applica-tions to the Native American/NativeHawaiian (NANH) Museum Services pro-gram. NANH promotes enhanced learningand innovation within museums and muse-um-related organizations, such as culturalcenters.The program provides opportuni-ties for Native American tribes and NativeHawaiian organizations to sustain heritage,culture, and knowledge through strength-ened museum services in the areas of pro-gramming, professional development, andenhancement of museum services. Projectswill benefit their communities and audi-ences by connecting people to ideas, infor-mation, and learning experiences.
Grant funding ranges from $5,000-$50,000,and is available under the following threecategories: (1) Programming: Services andactivities that support the educational mis-sion of museums and museum-relatedorganizations; (2) Professional development:Education or training that builds skills,
knowledge, or other professional capacityfor staff—either paid or volunteer—whoprovide or manage museum service activi-ties; (3) Enhancement of museum services:Support for activities that enable andimprove museum services.
Applicants must apply online throughGrants.gov. Awards will be announced inSeptember 2008. For more information,including guidelines and application, go to:www.imls.gov/applicants/grants/nativeServices.shtm.
IMLS has scheduled an audio-conferencecall to give prospective applicants an oppor-tunity to ask IMLS staff questions pertain-ing to the Native American/NativeHawaiian Museum Services program.Participants will need the informationbelow to participate:
Date: Wednesday, February 27Time: 3:00 PM ESTDial-In Number: 800-603-9527Conference ID: 25779593
IMLS Accepting Grant Applications to NANH Museum Services ProgramApplication Deadline: April 1, 2008 Applicants are encouraged to contact pro-
gram staff with their questions:
Sandra Narva, Senior Program Officer Phone: 202/653-4634E-mail: [email protected]
Reagan Furrow, Program SpecialistPhone: 202/653-4637E-mail: [email protected]
Robert Trio, Program SpecialistPhone: 202/653-4689E-mail: [email protected]
About the Institute of Museum andLibrary ServicesThe Institute of Museum and Library Servicesis the primary source of federal support forthe nation’s 122,000 libraries and 17,500museums. The Institute’s mission is to createstrong libraries and museums that connectpeople to information and ideas. TheInstitute works at the national level and incoordination with state and local organiza-tions to sustain heritage, culture, and knowl-edge; enhance learning and innovation; andsupport professional development. To learnmore about the Institute, please visitwww.imls.gov.
James Brown Cherokee Plantation, TNJohn Ross House, GAJunaluska Memorial and Museum, NCLake Dardanelle State Park, ARMajor Ridge Ferry Site and Farm Fields, GAMantle Rock, KYMaramec Spring Park—Massey Iron Works, MOMount Nebo State Park, ARMurrell Home, OKMuseum of the Cherokee Indian, NCNew Echota State Historic Site, GAPetit Jean State Park, ARPinnacle Mountain State Park, ARPort Royal State Park, TNRed Clay State Historic Area, TNRunning Waters John Ridge Property, GASequoyah Birthplace Museum, TNSnelson-Brinker Cabin, MOStar City Ranch Trail Segment, MOTennessee River Museum, TNTrail of Tears Commemorative Park, KYTrail of Tears State Forest, ILVann House Historic Site, GAVC/Moccasin Springs Road/NancyHildebrand’s
Gravesite-Trail of Tears State Park, MOWaynesville Cherokee Encampment,
Roubidoux Spring, Waynesville, MO
Federal Protection Components and Interpretive SitesArkansas Post National Memorial, AR Berry Ferry, KYCadron Settlement Park, ARCherokee Memorial Park-Blythe Ferry, TNFort Smith National Historic Site, ARGreat Smoky Mountains National Park, TNMark Twain National Forest, MOMocassin Bend, TNPea Ridge National Military Park, ARShawnee National Forest, MOStones River National Battlefield, TN
AlabamaGail King205-672-2074E-mail: [email protected]
ArkansasPat ProctorPhone: 501-324-9232E-mail: [email protected]
GeorgiaJeff BishopPhone: 706-766-1309E-mail: [email protected]
IllinoisSandy BoazPhone: 618-833-8216E-mail: [email protected]
KentuckyBeverly BakerPhone: 270-924-5484E-mail: [email protected]
North CarolinaAnne RogersPhone: 828-227-2443E-mail: [email protected]
TennesseeBill JonesPhone: 931-946-7486E-mail: [email protected]
MissouriDeloris Gray WoodPhone: 573-729-2545E-mail: [email protected]
OklahomaCurtis RohrPhone: 918-341-4689E-mail: [email protected]
TOTA State Chapter Contacts
Vision Becoming Reality - Using Partnerships to Develop the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail
In 1987, Congress acknowledged the signif-icance of this tragic event in our Nation’shistory by establishing the Trail of TearsNational Historic Trail. The National ParkService administers the Trail in cooperationwith federal, state, and local agencies; theCherokee Nation and the Eastern Band ofCherokee Indians; interested groups; andprivate landowners.
The Trail of Tears Association and theNational Park Service National TrailsSystem Office -Santa Fe have been workingwith Trail partners to increase visibility forthe Trail and to develop it for visitor use.Old traces, historic buildings, and otherresources are being preserved. Many siteshave been certified and numerous on-the-ground projects have been completed, suchas route signing, visitor-use development,interpretive wayside exhibits, and interiormuseum exhibits at existing facilities.
Certified SitesAudubon Acres, TNBrainerd Mission Cemetery, TNBrowns Ferry Tavern, TNCampground Cemetery, ILChattanooga Regional History Museum,TNCherokee County Historical Museum, NCCherokee Heritage Center, OKChieftains Museum/Major Ridge Home,GACity of Nashville trail routes, TNCity of North Little Rock Riverfront Park, ARCoke Ovens Museum Trail Segments, TNDelta Cultural Center, ARFort Gibson, OKGray's Inn, KYThe Hermitage, TNHistoric Road from Ross to Ridge's, GA
MEMBERSHIP FORMJanuary - December
Trail of Tears Association1100 N. University, Suite 143Little Rock, AR 72207-6344
Name Mr. Mrs. Ms. ________________________________________________
Address _______________________________________________________________
City ____________________________________ State _______ Zip ______________
Phone (Day) ________________________ Fax _________________________
E-mail_________________________________________________________________
State Chapter(s) (Circle): Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee
Membership includes one (1) state chapter membership.
Please send $10 for each additional state chapter
you would like to join.
Basic Individual – $25Sponsor – $100Patron – $500Benefactor – $1000Student – $10 copy of college student ID or (for minors) birth certificate must be enclosed
Payments to the Trail of Tears Association aretax deductible under section 501 (c) (3) ofthe Internal Revenue code.
Are you a current member of TOTA?If not, please join TOTA today!
8 Trail of Tears National Historic Trail News • March 2008
March 2008 • Trail of Tears National Historic Trail News 11
March 29Illinois Chapter Meeting, 1 pmSaline County Museum, Harrisburg, IL
April 5Alabama Chapter Meeting, 10 amGuntersville State Park Lodge, Guntersville, IL
April 19Oklahoma Chapter Meeting, 10 am - 2 pmBallroom behind Restaurant of theCherokees, Tahlequah, OK
North Carolina Chapter Meeting, 2 pm Terrace Hotel, Lake Junaluska AssemblyGrounds, Waynesville, NC
May 3Arkansas Chapter Meeting, 1pmOld State House Museum, Little Rock, AR
May 6 - 8PNTS Historic Trails WorkshopBLM Training Center, Phoenix, AZ
May 10Georgia Chapter Meeting & Picnic, 10:30 amBig Spring Park, Cedartown, GA
June 28Tennessee Chapter Meeting, 11 am CentralHenry Horton State Park, Chapel Hill, TN
July 12Georgia Chapter Meeting, 10:30 amClinton Preserve or Sweetwater Creek Park,Douglas County, GA
July 19Arkansas Chapter Meeting, 1:00 pmCrawford County Extension Office, VanBuren, AR
July 21Missouri Chapter Meeting, 1:00 pmTrail of Tears State Park, Jackson, MO
August 9Tennessee Chapter Meeting, 11 am EasternBlythe’s Ferry, Birchwood, TN
September 13Georgia Chapter Meeting, 2 pmEtowah Mounds, Cartersville, GA
September 21Pre-conference Research Day, Time TBDSequoyah Research Center, Little Rock, AR
September 22-2513th Annual TOTA Conference & SymposiumDoubleTree Hotel, Little Rock, ARLook for info at nationaltota.org/general-info/conf-info/
November 15 - 18Sequoyah Research Center Symposium, LittleRock, AR
Trail Calendar
Austin Takes New Position with AR Humanities CouncilMarch 14, 2008 will be Paul Austin’s lastday with the American Indian Center ofArkansas and the Trail of Tears Association.Paul has been appointed executive directorof the Arkansas Humanities Council.
Paul has served as executive director ofAICA for 24 years, and for the last 12 yearshe has also served as executive director ofTOTA. During his tenure, TOTA has grownfrom an idea of the advisory council intothe important organization it is today—onethat has established chapters in each of thenine states; successfully lobbied Congressto increase the budget for the Trail of TearsNational Historic Trail; developed truepartnerships with the Cherokee Nation, theEastern Band of Cherokees and theNational Park Service; created the success-ful and popular annual Trail of TearsConference and Symposium; and createdan exciting and useful web page andnewsletter for members and the public.
Upon reflection, Paul says, “It has trulybeen a joy to work with all the wonderfulpeople involved with the Trail of TearsAssociation. I have made many lifelongfriends, and I know that I will always be apart of the Association and committed to itsgood work. Looking back over the past 12years, I am amazed by what has been
accomplished by so few with so littleresources, with only their passion for thestory of the Trail of Tears and a commit-ment that the story will be told correctlyand never be forgotten. I want particularlyto thank the boards of Trail of TearsAssociation and the American IndianCenter of Arkansas for all their supportover the years. It has been an honor to workfor such great people.”
Paul’s first day at the Arkansas HumanitiesCouncil will be March 17, 2008. If youwould like to stay in touch with Paul, hisnew work number will be 501-221-0091,and his email address will [email protected] for a while to come.
After 24 years with the American Indian Center ofArkansas, Paul Austin will begin his new position asexecutive director of the Arkansas HumanitiesCouncil on March 17, 2008.
TOTA to Hold September Conference in Little RockThe 13th Annual Trail of Tears AssociationConference & Symposium will be held atthe Doubletree Hotel in downtown LittleRock, Arkansas, September 22-25, 2008.The Sequoyah Research Center will alsohost a research day on that Monday (see
article, page 7).
Anticipated presentations include: the firstCreek removal in the 1820s; conservation/preservation; Little Rock Office of Removaland Subsistence; Chickasaw removal;Cherokee removal in northwest Arkansasand the disbandment depots in easternOklahoma; Removal interpretation sensitiv-ity; and Arkansas Indian removals of theQuapaw, Osage, and Caddo tribes. In addi-tion, a field trip on the Arkansas River isbeing coordinated. Two receptions are
being planned—an opening reception,which will kick-off the start of the confer-ence, on Monday night at Historic ArkansasMuseum, and a second one on Tuesdaynight at the Old State House Museumwhere there will also be a book signing.
TOTA has reserved rooms for the nights ofSeptember 21–24, for a special room rate of$76 for single occupancy ($10 per addition-al occupant). To make your room reserva-tions, call 1-800-222-TREE (8733) or (501)372-4371. Be sure to ask for the “Trail ofTears” room block in order to get this spe-cial rate.
Look for registration materials in the mailand online at nationalTOTA.org later thissummer.
by Jerra Quintongations to Washington. NMAI’s object col-lection includes several early-to-mid 19thcentury Cherokee hunting coats made fromdeerskin. One memorable item is an elabo-rately beaded bandolier bag. It is believedto be Cherokee and dates to before theremoval. The words “For Genl. Jacksonfrom Sam Houston” are embroideredunder the flap. In retrospect, the visit pro-vided an insightful glimpse of Cherokeetreasures held in our national museums thatcan be used to enhance the public under-standing of Cherokee culture and history.
On April 13, 2008, while in Washington forthe Partnership for the Trails System’s “Hikethe Hill” week, Paul Austin, Jerra Quinton,Troy Poteete and Duane King toured thecollection facilities of the SmithsonianInstitution’s National Museum of NaturalHistory and the National Museum of theAmerican Indian in Suitland, Maryland.The two museums together hold the finestassemblage of Native American material inthe world. Of particular interest to friendsof the Trail of Tears Association is the 19thcentury Cherokee material. The NationalAnthropological Archives has an outstand-ing collection of historical photographsincluding hundreds taken by JamesMooney, a Smithsonian ethnologist, whoregularly visited the Qualla Boundarybetween 1887 and 1912, and published theclassic works, Cherokee Sacred Formulas, in1891 and the Myths of the Cherokee, in 1900.He photographed ball games, dances, andindividuals that he met. He also collecteditems associated with ball games, cere-monies and everyday life. The items in theSmithsonian collections brought back byMooney include dance masks, eagle wands,water drums, rattles, ball sticks, steatitesmoking pipes, pottery and basketry. Thismaterial is housed at Natural History’sMuseum Support Center which is nextdoor to the Cultural Resources Center ofthe National Museum of the AmericanIndian. The NMAI collection consists ofmore that 110,000 historic photographs andmore than 800,000 objects related to NativeAmericans. The collection contains a largenumber of 19th century photographs ofCherokee people in North Carolina andOklahoma, including some of visiting dele-
TOTA Board Members, Staff Visit Smithsonian FacilitiesStory & Photos by Duane King
Moccasins
Deerskin beaded hunting coat
Dance mask
Dance mask
Steatite smoking pipe
Kanuga (scratcher made from turkey bone)
10 Trail of Tears National Historic Trail News • March 2008
EXPERIENCE YOUR AMERICA
PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE
PAIDLITTLE ROCK, AR
PERMIT 196
Trail of
TearsAssociation1100 N.University, Suite 143Little Rock, AR 72207-6344
