Trail of Tears Commemorative Park

Memorial park on the route of the Cherokee forced removal of 1838-39

This park on the south side of town marks a documented campsite along the route of the Cherokee removal. In the winter of 1838-39, roughly 16,000 Cherokee were forced to march from their homelands in the southeastern United States to Indian Territory in present-day Oklahoma. Two detachments passed through the Hopkinsville area, and the park preserves the site where they camped.

The park includes interpretive panels, a heritage centre with exhibits on the removal, and a walking trail. Two Cherokee chiefs — Whitepath and Fly Smith — who died during the march are buried nearby. The annual Trail of Tears Commemorative Walk takes place each September. It is a sombre, well-maintained site and the most historically significant stop in Hopkinsville.

things to do sight
A story
In the winter of 1838-39, two detachments of Cherokee passed through Hopkinsville on the Trail of Tears. The park marks a campsite where hundreds sheltered before continuing west. Two Cherokee chiefs are buried nearby.