Downtown marker commemorates the Arkansas River passage of Cherokee and Seminole removal detachments through Jefferson County
John Horse & John Ross Marker Signs
Ivan Whitfied, County Judge gives Trail of Tears Remarks
Pine Bluff (Arkansas), Sept. 16, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — On Wednesday, Sept. 16, “National Trail of Tears Remembrance Day,” the National Park Service, the Arkansas Trail of Tears Association and the City of Pine Bluff will unveil a Trail of Tears marker in downtown Pine Bluff.
The ceremony begins at 11 a.m. at the Sgt. Elga Lee Roberts Jefferson County Veterans Service Office, 114 South State Street, within the Delta Rhythm & Bayous Cultural District. The program will run approximately 45 minutes and is free and open to the public.
The marker commemorates the removal routes that carried Cherokee, Seminole, Muscogee, Choctaw and Chickasaw people through Jefferson County between 1830 and 1840, and it names two men whose lives ran through this stretch of the Arkansas River: John Ross, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, and John Horse, the Black Seminole leader, interpreter and diplomat.
The river as a route of removal
Pine Bluff sits on the Arkansas River, and the river was a road.
In the summer of 1838, a party of Seminoles and Black Seminoles traveling under John Horse ran aground at Barraque’s Bar at Pine Bluff aboard the steamboat Swan. They remained here several days before continuing upriver toward Indian Territory.
In the winter that followed, the last Cherokee detachment (roughly 228 people, including Chief John Ross and his family) ascended the same river on what the National Park Service designates the water route of the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail. Ross’s wife, Elizabeth “Quatie” Ross, died aboard a steamboat during that journey and is buried at Mount Holly Cemetery in Little Rock.
Between 1830 and 1850, more than 60,000 people were removed from their homelands in the Southeast. Thousands died on the way. Jefferson County was not a destination on that journey. It was a place people were forced through, and some of them did not get past it.
“The Trail of Tears is not simply one trail. It consists of 5,045 miles over land and water with several distinct trails and trail segments that run through nine states. The 1830s Indian Removal Act removed five Major Tribal Nations from the Southeast region of the United States to Indian Territory west of the Mississippi River – Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Muskogee (Creek), and Seminole. The Arkansas Chapter of the Trail of Tears Assassination continues to conduct research and studies to discover, promote, and protect the Trail(s) traveled through Arkansas by the five Tribal Nations. This collaborative effort is shared among the Arkansas Chapter, National Park Service, State of Arkansas, Historical Societies and Municipalities such as Pine Bluff. The Marker(s) we present today is part of that ongoing work, research, and installation.”— Jason Irby, President, Arkansas Trail of Tears Association
“The Trail of Tears is not one road and not one nation’s story. It runs through nine states and it carried five nations. Arkansas has done a tremendous job by researching to find where those routes actually ran and to mark them honestly. This marker is part of that work.” – County Judge Ivan Whitfield, Jefferson County, Arkansas
“Pine Bluff is a river town, and in the 1830s the river was a route of forced removal. Cherokee and Seminole families passed through this place under guard, on their way somewhere they had not chosen to go. This marker says so plainly, on the ground where it happened.” – Mayor Vivian Flowers, City of Pine Bluff
“As a part of Arkansas 250, we are committed to telling the complete story of our state’s history over the past 250 years. We appreciate everyone involved in this project commemorating The Trail of Tears, as it will help share this important history.” – Marty Ryall, Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage & Tourism and Arkansas 250 Vice Chairman.
“Permanent markers ensure that crucial stories are never forgotten. This marker exists because the National Park Service, the Arkansas Trail of Tears Association, and our community committed to doing the vital, patient work together. It will serve as a touchstone of history for generations to come.”— Sheri Storie, Executive Director, Pine Bluff Advertising & Promotion Commission
“Pine Bluff has a longstanding relationship with the NPS, in particular Arkansas Post and Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site, in which we support community engaging efforts.” – Superintendent Robin White, National Park Service
Program
Jason Irby will serve as master of ceremonies. Mayor Vivian Flowers will offer the welcome. Representatives of the National Park Service will speak to the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail and to the place of Indigenous history in the nation’s 250th anniversary, followed by the Arkansas Trail of Tears Association on the work of documenting and interpreting the removal routes.
Rachel Whitaker, Historian ARTOTA, TOTA Board Member will speak to the legacies of John Horse and John Ross, and to the removal of their peoples.
Sheri Storie will recognize the partners who brought the marker forward. The unveiling will be led by Arkansas Trail of Tears Association representatives followed by a reading of the marker text and a moment of silence in remembrance of those removed.
Representatives of the Seminole Nation and the Cherokee Nation are invited to offer invocations, blessings and greetings in their own languages.
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National Trail of Tears Remembrance Day
Sept. 16 marks the arrival of the last Cherokee detachment in Indian Territory in 1838 and is observed nationally as Trail of Tears Remembrance Day. Commemorations are held annually in communities along the trail’s 2,200-mile route across nine states.
About the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail
Congress established the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail in 1987 and expanded it in 2009. It is administered by the National Park Service in partnership with tribal nations, state agencies, and the Trail of Tears Association. Arkansas contains a substantial share of the trail’s mileage, including land routes and the Arkansas River water route.
About the Trail of Tears Association
The Trail of Tears Association is a nonprofit membership organization that works with the National Park Service to research, protect and interpret the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail. It has chapters in nine states. The Arkansas chapter, headquartered in Little Rock, works on the removal routes of the Cherokee, Muscogee, Seminole, Chickasaw and Choctaw through Arkansas.
About the Pine Bluff Advertising and Promotion Commission
The Pine Bluff Advertising and Promotion Commission is the governing body of Explore Pine Bluff, the official destination marketing organization for Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Funded through local lodging and prepared food taxes, the Commission works to drive economic vitality and elevate quality of life by positioning Pine Bluff as a premier destination for leisure travel, conventions, and cultural events. Through strategic marketing, community partnerships, and local programming, Explore Pine Bluff champions the city’s rich heritage, local businesses, and community growth. Learn more at ExplorePineBluff.com.
Attachments
- John Horse & John Ross Marker Signs
- Ivan Whitfied, County Judge gives Trail of Tears Remarks
CONTACT: Sheri Storie Explore Pine Bluff 8705342121 [email protected]
