Stone County Officially Recognized As Part Of The Trail of Tears:

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Jim Huy and George Scott

Parts of Stone County will be recognized by the National Park Service as a National Historic Trial.

Twenty seven miles of the northern part of the county is now officially part of the Trial of Tears.

The Indian Removal Act of 1830 resulted in the removal of the Five Civilized Tribes (Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek and Seminole) from their ancestral lands in the southeastern part of the developing United States to Indian Territory, which is 

present day Oklahoma.

 

Following the signing of the Treaty of New Echota, the 19th century signers – a small part of the Cherokee Nation- voluntarily emigrated.  The group, which emigrating under Conductor B.B. Cannon, crossed through portions of Greene County in late December, 1837.  

The forced removal of about 13,000 Cherokee Nation tribe members took place in 1838.  Many of those people had been held in stockades, formed into groups and marched along the B.B. Cannon route, which was known as the Northern Route.  This route became known as the Trail of Tears, now a National Historic Trail.

 

Thirteen groups of 1,000 people first entered Greene County from the east near Strafford and traveled south and west to an area which is near present day Division Street.  They then headed southwest to Delaware Town, which was along the James and Finley Rivers near Clever in Christian County before entering Stone County near what is now Highway K. 

Former Stone County Commissioner Jim Huy was instrumental in obtaining the national recognition for the county.

 

An official dedication for the trail will be held May 31st at 11 a.m. at the Old Wire Road Conservation Center.  A community picnic, which costs $6.00 for pre sale tickets or $8.00 on the day of the event, will follow at Crane City Park.

For more information call 417-357-6083.