Jes, Good morning. I am located in Bryant (which as you may know is approximately 10 minutes south of Little Rock on I-30). I love the area of the state where you live. Many, many years ago, I learned to water ski on Lake Dardanelle. There should be a lot of Cherokee history in your area, but I'm sure much of it was unappreciated in decades past and has been lost. I hope you can go to the Sequoyah Research Center when you get to Little Rock. Did you know the Arkansas Chapter of the Trail of Tears is also in Little Rock? It (the Arkansas Chapter) is a part of the Arkansas Native Press Archives/Sequoyah Research Center and is located off-campus, but almost right next to U.A.L.R. on University Ave. Here is a link. The address and phone number are at the bottom of the page: _http://www.nationaltota.org/_ (http://www.nationaltota.org/) Jerra Quinton, the coordinator for this chapter, is wonderful; very helpful. Recently (July 21, 2006), I received an e-newsletter from Congressman Vic Snyder. It was full of good news for those interested in the TOT. I found it especially interesting as I had done a presentation about the Bell-Deas Route in my Arkansas History class. Oleta may find it interesting as it also relates to the Benge Route. Here is the portion of the newsletter related to the TOT: ____________________________________ ____________________________________ This Week In Congress A bill encouraging the National Park Service to expand the current National Historic Trail of Tears to include additional routes used when the Cherokee were forcibly removed from their ancestral homelands passed the House on Monday. H.R. 3085 encourages the Secretary of the Interior to complete the Trail from North Carolina to Oklahoma and preserve the paths that Cherokees used to find new land in Indian Territory. A large part of the Trail of Tears runs through Arkansas. While the Trail of Tears story will always be one of sorrow and regret, it is important that we remember it accurately. Knowing the history of our country and the mistakes we have made helps us prevent repeating such mistakes in the future. With the recognition of the Benge and Bell paths, Arkansans will be able to know the historic footsteps taken in our state. When the original Trail was designated in 1987 only primitive research existed, leaving two main arteries, Benge and Bell, omitted. Both of these routes pass through Arkansas. The Bell Route, traveled by John Bell's Treaty Party across Tennessee and Arkansas, leads up the Arkansas River through North Little Rock, Maumelle, Conway, and on to Fort Smith. The Benge Route, used by Cherokee leader John Benge's detachment, begins in Ft. Payne, Alabama, passing through Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, and northern Arkansas, before arriving in Oklahoma. The Trail of Tears Documentation Act asks the Secretary of the Interior to study these additional trail segments, emigration depots, and land components and incorporate them into the national landmark. In the 1830s, the U.S. government began using forced treaties and U.S. Army action to relocate Native American tribes from their homes in the eastern United States into Indian Territory, now known as Oklahoma. Forced removal of the Cherokee took an estimated 15,000 from their homelands in southern Appalachia for a journey West that caused the loss of an estimated ¼ of the tribes' population, and would eventually be called the "Trail of Tears." To see a detailed map of the Trail, which ran through North Little Rock, Conway, Maumelle and up the Arkansas river, visit the National Park Service site here _http://imgis.nps.gov/national_historic_trails.html_ (http://imgis.nps.gov/national_historic_trails.html) I was one of 20 cosponsors representing all eight states along the historic trail of the bill. Congressman Marion Berry (AR-01) and Congressman Zach Wamp (TN-03) were original cosponsors. ____________________________________ ____________________________________ Let's hope this expansion of the TOT happens in our lifetime! I thought I would mention one more resource in Little Rock for research on Cherokee Genealogy. The Arkansas History Commission has a lot of info on this and they are very helpful, as well. The AHC is located on the grounds of the state capital. Here is a link to their web page: _http://www.ark-ives.com/_ (http://www.ark-ives.com/) The "Selected Materials" page has a list of available materials related to Native American research. I hope this info will be helpful to you and others on this list. Have a great day. Jan