There will be an unveiling of 92 new Trail of Tears National Historic Trail signs on Thursday at 2 p.m. The event will be held at Ross’s Landing, at 100 Riverfront Parkway.
Following the dedication, guests are invited to a NPS-guided interpretive hike of Brown’s Ferry Federal Road, a section of Trail of Tears retracement trail, at 701 Moccasin Bend Road. Two newly-developed driving tour guides will be handed out at the event for those who would like to retrace the trail through the Chattanooga and Hamilton County. These driving tours can also be downloaded at: www.chattanoogafun.com/vacation-packages/civil-war-history or www.nps.gov/trte/planyourvisit
The unveiling supports the continuing effort by the NPS and its partners to preserve and develop the national historic trail for increased public awareness and use. Participating in the event will be Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke, Chickamauga Chattanooga National Military Park Superintendent Brad Bennett, and Friends of Moccasin Bend National Park’s Michael Wurzel.
“The National Park Service is proud to be a part of this collaborative effort to install signs marking the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail through the City of Chattanooga and Hamilton County, TN. This effort will help all Americans to understand and appreciate this important but painful and often hidden episode of our shared history," said Superintendent Aaron Mahr of the National Park Service’s National Trails Intermountain Region.
The National Park Service works with communities and partners across the trail to increase awareness of the Trail of Tears.
The National Trails Intermountain Region administers the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail. The trail’s purpose is to commemorate the 1838-1839 forced removal of the people of the Cherokee Nation from their homelands in the east to Indian Territory, present-day Oklahoma.
The National Trails System consists of historic, scenic, and recreation trails designated by Congress to provide for outdoor recreation needs, promote the enjoyment, appreciation, and preservation of open-air, outdoor areas and historic resources, and encourage public access and citizen involvement.
Learn more about the National Park Service’s Trail of Tears National Historic Trail, and the National Trails System by visiting the following websites:
Trail of Tears National Historic Trail
http://www.nps.gov/trte/
National Trails System
http://www.nps.gov/nts/