Cherokee Removal Memorial Park is a public park in

Meigs County, Tennessee Meigs County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,758. Its county seat is Decatur. History Before 1819, the area that is now Meigs County was part of the Cherokee nation. It had been ...

that is dedicated in memory of the

Cherokee The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, t ...

who were forced to emigrate from their ancestral lands during the

Cherokee removal Cherokee removal, part of the Trail of Tears, refers to the forced relocation between 1836 and 1839 of an estimated 16,000 members of the Cherokee Nation and 1,000–2,000 of their slaves; from their lands in Georgia, South Carolina, North Carol ...

, in an event that came to be known as the

Trail of Tears The Trail of Tears was an ethnic cleansing and forced displacement of approximately 60,000 people of the "Five Civilized Tribes" between 1830 and 1850 by the United States government. As part of the Indian removal, members of the Cherokee, ...

. It was established in 2005, and has since expanded.

Background

Cherokee Removal Memorial Park is located on the banks of the

Tennessee River The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other names, ...

near

Blythe Ferry Blythe Ferry was a ferry across the Tennessee River in Meigs County, Tennessee, United States. In 1838, the ferry served as a gathering point and crossing for the Cherokee Removal, commonly called the Trail of Tears, in which thousands of Cherok ...

, which was used to transport many of the Cherokees west on their journey to Indian Territory in present-day

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...

. The removal was headquartered at

Fort Cass Fort Cass was a fort located on the Hiwassee River in present-day Charleston, Tennessee, that served as the military operational headquarters for the entire Cherokee removal, an forced migration of the Cherokee known as the Trail of Tears from the ...

in nearby

Charleston Charleston most commonly refers to: * Charleston, South Carolina * Charleston, West Virginia, the state capital * Charleston (dance) Charleston may also refer to: Places Australia * Charleston, South Australia Canada * Charleston, Newfoundlan ...

Description and history

The park is a partnership between the government of Meigs County,

Tennessee Valley Authority The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is a federally owned electric utility corporation in the United States. TVA's service area covers all of Tennessee, portions of Alabama, Mississippi, and Kentucky, and small areas of Georgia, North Carolina ...

(TVA),

Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) is an independent state agency of the state of Tennessee with the mission of managing the state's fish and wildlife and their habitats, as well as responsibility for all wildlife-related law enforcem ...

(TWRA),

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propertie ...

(NPS), and Friends of the Cherokee. It is surrounded by Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge, which is managed by the TWRA. The park is located on 29 acres consists of a visitor center containing an interpretive center, library, and presentation room, history wall which chronicles the development of the Cherokee people, memorial wall which identifies the names of Cherokee who were removed, and map of the Trail of Tears carved in stone on the ground. It is listed as an

interpretive center An interpretation centre, interpretive centre, or visitor interpretive centre is an institution for dissemination of knowledge of natural or cultural heritage. Interpretation centres are a kind of new-style museum, often associated with visitor c ...

on the

Trail of Tears National Historic Trail The Trail of Tears was an ethnic cleansing and forced displacement of approximately 60,000 people of the "Five Civilized Tribes" between 1830 and 1850 by the United States government. As part of the Indian removal, members of the Cherokee, Mus ...

. The park was established in 2005, with the visitor center opening in May 2009. The memorial wall was dedicated on October 27, 2013.

References

2005 establishments in Tennessee Museums established in 2009 Native American museums in Tennessee Tourist attractions in Meigs County, Tennessee Buildings and structures in Meigs County, Tennessee Museums in Meigs County, Tennessee 19th century Cherokee history Trail of Tears Cherokee Nation (1794–1907) Protected areas established in 2005 2009 establishments in Tennessee {{Cherokee

Background

Description and history

See also

References