Okmulgee in Okmulgee County, Oklahoma — The American South (West South Central)
Trail of Tears
Photographed By Thomas Payne, June 13, 2022
1. Trail of Tears Marker
During 1836-37, U. S. soldiers herded up about 14,000 "hostile", mainly Upper Creek Indians in Alabama and Georgia, who had refused to move to Indian Territory (Oklahoma). They were placed in stockades until their forced removal to Indian Territory. Earlier, some 3,000 Lower Creeks of the McIntosh faction had moved "voluntarily" to the lands in the west. All were marched under harsh travel conditions, either by water or land routes, resulting in the deaths of about 4,000 Creeks. The routes took the Creeks over land and some on rivers. One such river route was only designed to carry 300. Tragedy struck the Steamboat Monmouth which sank; taking with it some 311 lives.
All routes of removal ended at the "disembarkment" station of Ft. Gibson, where the Creeks then moved into the current Muscogee (Creek) Nation boundaries. Old settlement patterns were to continue here in the I.T., where the Lower Creeks settled along the Verdigris/Arkansas Rivers and the Upper Creeks along the Canadian Rivers.
This historical marker will forever mark the end of this "Trail of Tears".
Erected by Trail of Tears Commemorative Motorcycle Ride.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Native Americans. A significant historical year for this entry is 1836.
Location.
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Creek Council House Capitol Of The Muscogee Nation (here, next to this marker); Creek Capitol (a few steps from this marker); Samuel Checote (a few steps from this marker); First Bank of Okmulgee (within shouting distance of this marker); Okmulgee County Veterans Memorial (approx. 0.2 miles away); 2nd Lt. Kenneth Strang Memorial (approx. 1.2 miles away); Forced to Capitulate by Command or Shot out of the Sky: (approx. 1.7 miles away); Ernest Childers (approx. 1.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Okmulgee.
Photographed By Jason Armstrong, June 18, 2022
2. Trail of Tears Marker looking towards the east
Credits. This page was last revised on January 5, 2023. It was originally submitted on June 19, 2022. This page has been viewed 184 times since then and 36 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on June 19, 2022, by Thomas Payne of Okmulgee, Oklahoma. 2. submitted on January 3, 2023, by Jason Armstrong of Talihina, Oklahoma. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.
