New historic marker marks Trail of Tears path through PB
The city of Pine Bluff, Arkansas, has unveiled a historical marker to commemorate its role as a waypoint on the Trail of Tears. The marker acknowledges the forced removal of several Native American tribes through the region between 1830 and 1850.
Why it matters
This initiative reflects a growing trend in local government to publicly acknowledge and document painful historical events related to indigenous displacement.
In 1839 a group of displaced Cherokee Indians led by Chief John Ross traveled by boat to Indian Territory through Pine Bluff as part of the Trail of Tears. Three years later, Chief John Horse led a group of Seminoles along the same route, landing at Barraque’s Bar and staying for at least two days.
Their journeys are now encapsulated in a historical marker unveiled Wednesday (Sept. 16) at the intersection of Second Avenue and State Street. The Arkansas Trail of Tears Association, along with the city of Pine Bluff and its Advertising and Planning Commission, National Park Service, Division of Arkansas Heritage and tribal representatives, hosted a ceremony at the nearby Sgt. Elga Lee Roberts Jefferson County Veterans Service Office.
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