I wasn't aware of it, but the infamous Trail of Tears marking the forced removal of the Cherokee Indians to west of the Mississippi, also went through the very southern part of Illinois. I always thought it went through southern states. This was truly one of the low-water marks of American history.
According to Jon's Southern Illinois History Page, by Jon Musgrove, nearly 9,000 Cherokees passed through southern Illinois during the winter between Nov. 1838 and January 1839. Very little remains of that event.
According to the Illinois Chapter of the Trail of Tears Association, the Cherokees crossed the Ohio River into Illinois at Golconda and mostly followed what is today's Illinois Route 146.
Today, the route enters Illinois at the Cave-in-Rock ferry and continues on Illinois Route 146 until it crosses the Mississippi River at Cape Girardeau.
www.illinoishistory.com/trailoftears.html
A Truly Sad Chapter in US History. --Cooter
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