Near Fort Payne in DeKalb County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)

Trail of Tears – 1838

— Little River Canyon National Preserve —

Courtesy of Thomas P. Martin, March 16, 2017

1. Trail of Tears – 1838 Marker

Inscription. In 1838 U. S. soldiers and local militia rounded up over 1,100 men, women, and children in the Little River area during the forced removal of the Cherokee and Muscogee (Creek) Indians. Soldiers held some of them at Fort Likens and Fort Lovell east of Lookout Mountain before moving them to Fort Payne. They crossed Little River near the present-day bridge. Cherokee John Benge led the Fort Payne group of American Indians over 798 miles to Indian Territory (Oklahoma).

[Captions]
• (Top) American Indians leave their homes in the Little River area.
• (Bottom) The federal government forced tens of thousands of American Indians to leave their homes in four states. One fourth of them died in harsh conditions along the Trail of Tears.

Erected by National Park Service.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Government & Politics • Indigenous Peoples and Communities. In addition, it is included in the Trail of Tears series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1838.

Location. 34° 23.728′ N, 85° 37.565′ W. Marker is near Fort Payne, Alabama, in DeKalb County. It can be reached from Little River Falls Overlook Trail 0.1 miles west of Alabama Route 35.

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Located in the Little River Canyon Falls Park parking lot within the Little River Canyon National Preserve. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Gaylesville AL 35973, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in North Alabama.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Deep South,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the original Cherokee Nation,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 7 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Indians, Settlers, and Tourists (here, next to this marker); W.P. Brown & Sons Lumber Company (approx. 2.4 miles away); Arthur "Tarzan" White (approx. 2.8 miles away); History of Taff, Alabama (approx. 3.8 miles away); David Hartline (approx. 3.8 miles away); Cherokee Indian Removal (approx. 6.3 miles away); Sequoyah | Socks | Song | Scenery (approx. 6.3 miles away); Confederate Monument (approx. 6.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Fort Payne.

Another marker is no longer nearby. Boom Town Historic District (was approx. 6.3 miles away but has been confirmed missing).

Trail of Tears – 1838 Marker on left. image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, May 5, 2022

2. Trail of Tears – 1838 Marker on left.

Credits. This page was last revised on May 12, 2022. It was originally submitted on April 29, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 703 times since then and 41 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on April 29, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 2. submitted on May 9, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.