Trail of Tears State Park commemorates one of the greatest tragedies in American history. The pristine 3,415-acre setting creates a peaceful memorial to the 3,000-4,000 Cherokee who died on the forced march through North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri and Arkansas to Oklahoma.
Beginning in May of 1838, over 7,000 troops, under the command of General Winfield Scott, moved into Cherokee country and began rounding-up, disarming the Cherokee and placing them in stockades to await forced removal. Unbearable suffering created an unthinkable devastation of "The People". Ultimately over 16,000 Cherokee were forced to march on the "Trail of Tears" beginning in June of 1838. Contaminated water and food supplies and dysentery struck the group and their marching had to be delayed until October 1838.
In January of 1839, the winter crossing of the Mississippi River from southern Illinois into Missouri was treacherous. There were delays due to large chunks of ice passing swiftly down river. For days the group suffered the cold January wind while hundreds who were sick or dying were penned up in wagons or merely lay on the frozen earth. The only shelter from the arctic winds was in the form of a blanket placed overhead. Fatigue, whooping cough, and measles claimed up to one-fourth of the men, women, children and elders of the tribes.
Legend says that Nancy Bushyhead Walker Hildebrand died and was buried within the Park's boundaries. She was the sister of Rev. Jesse Bushyhead, who led one of the detachments, and the wife of Lewis Hildebrand, who led another. Her two children traveled on and made it to Indian Territory. The Bushyhead Memorial in the park is a tribute to her and all the other Cherokee who died on the trail.
Trail of Tears State Park features an Interpretive Center designed to retrace the steps of the Cherokee through a series of interpretive panels. Paintings, maps and other memorabilia depict the crossing of the Mississippi River. 20-acre Lake Boutin, tent and electrical camping sites, hiking trails, playgrounds and other amenities make this state park an ideal location for outdoor recreation.
For more information contact:
Trail of Tears State Park
(573) 290 5268
429 Moccasin Springs
Jackson, MO 63755
E-mail: moparks@dnr.mo.gov
Denise Dowling, Superintendent at Trail of Tears, talks about the park: