The Trail of Tears was the forced relocation of Native Americans to the Indian territories out West. Many died along the way hence the name Trail of Tears. Such a sad time in American history. 
This sight is one of few documented as a campsite during the forced relocation of the Cherokee people. It was used in 1838 and 1839. Cherokee chiefs Fly Smith and Whitepath died while on the relocation and were buried here.
Pow Wows are conducted here each Labor day. (click on the underlined to learn more about Indian Pow Wows)
This cabin serves as a visitors center but was not open the day we were there. Darn, darn, darn... 
We did take a few minutes to stroll around to look at the grounds. I spotted a row of Crab apple trees with apples on them. Lets go in for a better peek...
Ah, that's a better view of them. The trees were filled with them and I was wondering where are all the darn squirrels? We never have any on our tree because the squirrels get to them as soon as they take form. Those stinkers!
We also spotted several walnut trees. And they too were full of green walnuts. The squirrels don't usually mess with those until they get to the meaty stage. I remember that from growing up with a walnut tree in the front yard!
In time the hard green ball will fall off the tree and lay on the ground. Once the green turns to a rotten brown shriveled up looking form, then the skin can be pulled away and you will find a black walnut! They are hard to open and I know they entertained us kids for hours upon hours with a hammer and the city sidewalk. The last time I was home, we went to the old house and that walnut tree was still standing tall. My dad tells me the tree was full of walnuts when he started to call this place home in 1947 as a child. According to him, a walnut must be at least 7 years old before it will produce nuts. I guess the tree is at least 68 years old!
Ugh, what is that I see in the walnut tree? Hum, lets go in for a closer peek of this...
Oh no, just what I feared. A nest of Tent Worms! (click on the underlined to learn more about these caterpillars)
Just look at those pesky things webbing it up in the walnut tree. 
My depression was soon gone once spotting this beautiful little wild flower growing along the creek of the park. 
I spotted these in different places along the roadsides while on this trip. Really pretty little flower with its yellow glow. 
Such beauty I have spotted with the APPLES & NUTS ON THE TRAIL OF TEARS. History, I know but a sad time and I was happy to be back, In the Garden...
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Apples & Nuts on the Trail of Tears
The Saint and I have pets that don't travel well so we don't take long vacations. We opt for long weekend getaways which usually take us home to TN or VA. While there, we try to fit in a day of playing tourist. On this Tennessee visit, we drove over the border into Hopkinsville, Kentucky to check out the Trail of Tears park. (click on the underlined to learn more about this park)
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There is a "village" here, just across the road from where I met you that time that is part of the Trail of Tears. It is called New Echota. Really a neat place to visit and tour. We also have the Chief Vann House.
ReplyDeleteGood morning. I pass by this park quite often and have often said I should stop, but never have so thanks for the tour. Very sad time in our history. I really like those crabapples and nuts. The caterpillars are awful this year. They have just defoliated many trees. I see that little yellow flower and wish I knew what it was. Maybe a helianthus or ligularia? Does anyone know?
ReplyDeleteSkeeter, Thanks for the tour. There really are many places to see in TN, KY, AL and GA...we don't have to go to far to far from home to experience history or natural beauty.
ReplyDeleteThe flower looks like a helianthus, but I am not sure!
Gail
Skeeter, thanks for the much informative tour. I did not know about that park. I've seen the play "Unto These Hills" which is very sad as to how the Cherokee were treated. I learned quite a lot by working on the reservation amongst the native people. I've also seen their display & their version of what happened. Sad, Sad.
ReplyDeleteI love the black walnut trees! The foliage is beautiful and so is the bark, that's one tree I really wish to have, and did, til I fertilized it. Anyway, the gypsy brown moth is all over the place and will kill a tree over time. The only real way to get rid of it is to burn the brush. I NEVER walk under any tree, so afraid they burst open and land on my head!
ReplyDeleteGood Morning everyone! Hope you all had as much fun yesterday as the Saint and I... We stroll the Laurel & Hardy Festival along with several thousand other people! The parade was truly a small town parade and charming. I had fun helping a child collect candy. A man took some from right in front of him! Rude man should know better then to take candy from a child... lol... He only did it once and that was a good thing or my mouth may have gotten me in trouble... tee hee. The Saint got squirted with water by a parade float. I thought that was really funny because he is the one that will not go on wet rides with me at amusement parks! Once home we spent the remainder of the day working in the yard. We ended up the night at our Mexican place for a Margarita! Perfect day....
ReplyDeleteJillybean, That is one long Trail and amazing anyone was able to survive that walk... Maybe sometime if we are ever up exploring that area, we will check it out...
Tina, How did your yard sell go? I fear not too well without advertisements. Living out so far ya know. I ran an ad in the paper and had signs leading up to my house the one time I had a sale. I sold $700 of stuff! I also took down my signs unlike some people! arggg...
The Saint found the caterpillars in his cypress tree and we quickly got them out. I spotted a tree somewhere along the road while headed to the beach that was totally covered with the things! I am sure that tree is a goner...
Gail, I know there is so much to see and do all around us, we just need to take the time to stop and check these things out. I pass markers all the time and think one day I will stop and see what it has to say. Then never do because always in a hurry to get somewhere... The flower is pretty what ever she is...
Lola, it is a sad time in History. I dont know how humans could do that to other humans but then look at slavery, another sad time in History.... I was able to spot some beauty in what was once a horrible place to be...
Dawn, those nuts do make a loud plop when falling to the ground. We never parked our cars in the area of the tree for fear of dents! The moths are an ugly sight in the trees and so common around here...
I got a good amount of stuff sold. The last thing I REALLY want to go is a loveseat for a bargain of $25. I hope I don't have to move it again but may offer it on Freecycle. Thanks for asking! I am picking up now. No where near $700, but about $150; which I am VERY happy about.
ReplyDeleteSkeeter, Forgot to say, your picture is in the living section today. Talking about the upcoming ball. Quite a write up advertising it.
ReplyDeleteTina, Is there a place that you can donate the loveseat? Call a furniture store to see. Our furniture stores will recommend a group usually associated with a church. They will pick up the sofa also.... Battered wife group, Goodwill, etc may be interested...
ReplyDeleteI did not see my pic in the papers on-line version. Only Amy Shaver with her dogs. You are not confusing me with one of the dogs are you? LOL....
Ops forgot to tell you. We dont have our new sofa as of yet. Decided to get the window shades all in place and paid for first.... That will be the next major purchase though...
ReplyDeleteSkeeter, I'm glad you told me about your Trail of Tears post when you visited mine this past week. Thanks for the info. Next time we visit friends in KY, we will make it a point to stop there. Don't you think it's even more sad that it took so long for the govt. to acknowledge the injustice? The closest I can come to ID-ing the yellow flower is to say it might be in the aster family, judging by the number of ray flowers, the yellow disk, and the leaf pattern. How helpful is that? Not very, I'm sure. I had no idea there were so many members of the aster family until I started looking them up in my handy little wildflower guide.
ReplyDeleteNo of course not! It was a picture of Skeeter kitty with three others inside the part of the paper that had Amy on it. Remember that pic? Your mother surely will when she opens the paper. I will save my copy for you too. I was wondering about that couch. Thanks for letting me know. I put mine on Freecycle. Should be gone today.
ReplyDeleteHi Skeeter. This is a place I've always wanted to visit. Thanks for sharing this piece of history with us.
ReplyDeleteIt's good of you to bring the Trail of Tears to the attention of your readers. When I lived in NC for two years I drove one morning to a small town where they had a Cherokee Museum. (Someone local please help me recall the name?) And of course Charles Frazier's book Thirteen Moons sheds great light on what happened to the tribes in Appalachia. Sad and not to late to care.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great day Skeeter and I wish I had some of those crabapples. They make the best apple jelly there is.
ReplyDeleteWalk2Write, yep very sad... It is funny you mention having a handy wildflower guide. I have many different books on birds, wild animals, reptiles, frogs, butterflies and even a few on trees but not one book on wildflowers of the southeastern US. I must get one some time as it would be very handy...
ReplyDeleteTina, I remember the pic and even have a copy as it was taken by the Saint with our camera! Too funny. We did have a blast and I am sure I will get to the Fur Ball again this year. Just have to work it all out with the Saint if he will go with me or not.... Hope freecycle works for your sofa...
P. Gardener, It is a nice park and I am sure it would be great to see the Pow Wow sometime. Do get there and make sure the visitor’s center is open also.
Kathryn, hello and thanks for stopping by today! It is a sad part of our history and one we should never forget as it should never repeat itself in the future...
Jean, My grandmother had two crabapple trees in her yard just beside her deck and I dont recall her ever making jelly or anything from them. Can you believe that? Maybe she did and I just dont remember as I did not care for tart crabapples. I'll have to ask my mom about that one...
We knocked off a few more chores from our "To Do" list today. More for me to do tomorrow, like water everything. WE NEED RAIN...
Movie time now. I hope everyone had a good weekend and back to the grindstone tomorrow...
Yup, the sofa is gone. Everything is put away and the car is full of leftovers to go to Goodwill. Glad it is done. I don't think I'll do another one.
ReplyDeleteMom, I DID notice you were not on here. You were very busy with the going away party for Christine. Glad it went well. Did Zack's team win?
This looks like it would be a very interesting place to visit. We have years (approx. every 10) when those tent worms (we call them tent caterpillars here) simply cover trees. They turn into moths eventually. That's a LOT of moths! :)
ReplyDeleteTina, Yeah, the sofa is gone and all is better now! Worth your troubles I am sure... I have only had one Yard Sale but with the move from this house, probably another one will take place because we want a smaller place...
ReplyDeleteNancybond, The Park is an interesting place and I hope to get back when the Visitors Center is open. When I did my research on them, I found out they are known by both names. And yes, that is a lot of moths!
I've been through Hopkinsville several times on the way to Nashville or other southern destinations, but I wasn't aware this park was there. Next time I'll have to make a point to stop; my husband and I both enjoy history. The Trail of Tears and our treatment of Native Americans were not historic moments to be proud of.
ReplyDeleteRose, it is worth the visit. A real nice setting along side a creek. I believe the Visitor’s Center is closed on Monday and Tuesday so make sure you plan your visit accordingly...
ReplyDeleteYep, a sad time in American history for sure…
Jean, I'm glad someone else knows about crab apple jelly. Mom use to have me go pick wild crab apples & she would mix the juice with other low pectin fruit. Have you ever heard of orange juice jelly or canned grape juice jelly? Yummmmm!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI know about crabapple jelly Lola. I used to make when I lived in NC. I have enough crabby crabapples here to make it, just not enough time or motivation. I love it! Especially with fresh mint.
ReplyDeleteYum, you are all making it sound so good...
ReplyDeleteLola I used to make it with just the crabapples as if I were making plain ole apple jelly. I have heard of the others but never had them.
ReplyDeleteSkeeter, if you have some, try and make it and see what you think. I think it is great.
I will try some if I find it at the market. I dont make jams and jellies or even can anything. Horrible of me I know but not my thing. Maybe one day I will take canning up as a hobby. The squirrels have ate all our crabapples. Stinkers...
ReplyDelete