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Decatur in Morgan County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)
 

Uprooted From Home

Rhodes Ferry Park

— Trail of Tears National Historic Trail —

 
 
Uprooted From Home Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Tom Bosse, August 26, 2022
1. Uprooted From Home Marker
Inscription.
This is a site of painful memory, a place of upheaval. Decatur was just one stop on a deadly journey over 1,000 miles — the forced removal of the Cherokee people from the Tennessee Valley.

Along the edge of the Tennessee River, this town bore witness to the Trail of Tears. From 1837 to 1838, boats and trains carried 2,300 Cherokee people through Decatur on their way to Indian Territory.

Three witness structures from this time still stand in Decatur. The Burleson-Hinds-McEntire House, the Dancy-Polk House House, and the Old State Bank.

Captions
The Burleson-Hinds-McEntire House changed hands during the Civil War, serving as a headquarters for both Union and Confederate forces.

The Dancy-Polk House is the oldest home in Decatur, built in 1829 for Colonel William Francis Dancy.

The Old State Bank, completed in 1833, financed railroads into Decatur.

The Decatur Depot and warehouses, shown here in 1864, may have sheltered the Cherokee people before they boarded trains to Tuscumbia.

The 138-foot-long steamboat Tecumseh transported Cherokee people several times during the forced removal.

 
Erected by City of Decatur, Decatur Parks, Trail of Tears Association, National Park Service.
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Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Native AmericansWaterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1837.
 
Location. 34° 36.82′ N, 86° 58.809′ W. Marker is in Decatur, Alabama, in Morgan County. Marker can be reached from Oak Street north of Market Street. Located in Rhodes Ferry Park. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Decatur AL 35601, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Words of Resistance (here, next to this marker); “Captain, We’ve Got It At Last” - The Charge of the 14th U.S. Colored Infantry (a few steps from this marker); Site of Benson Field (within shouting distance of this marker); Cherokee Trail Of Tears (within shouting distance of this marker); Fight For Survival (within shouting distance of this marker); Packed with People (within shouting distance of this marker); Gold Star Families Memorial Monument (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); Confederate Leadership at Decatur - McCartney Hotel Site (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Decatur.
 
Uprooted From Home Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Tom Bosse, August 26, 2022
2. Uprooted From Home Marker
Uprooted From Home Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Tom Bosse, August 26, 2022
3. Uprooted From Home Marker
Vicinity of Uprooted From Home Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Ruth Wilson Wilcox, June 25, 2017
4. Vicinity of Uprooted From Home Marker
Vicinity of Uprooted From Home Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Ruth Wilson Wilcox, June 25, 2017
5. Vicinity of Uprooted From Home Marker
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on September 3, 2022. It was originally submitted on October 10, 2019. This page has been viewed 274 times since then and 17 times this year. Last updated on January 6, 2022. Photos:   1, 2, 3. submitted on September 3, 2022, by Tom Bosse of Jefferson City, Tennessee.   4, 5. submitted on October 10, 2019. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.

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Mar. 29, 2024