Springfield's Ozark Greenways to open bike trail commemorating the Trail of Tears
Amid the whine of chainsaws and the crackling crunches of a heavy grappling machine, volunteers are clearing an overgrown railroad bed in southwest Springfield that traces a portion of the infamous 1830s Trail of Tears.
By the end of the year, the nonprofit Ozark Greenways hopes to transform the rail bed into a hiking/biking trail — the Ozark Greenways Trail of Tears — with signs explaining the historic nature of the path through southwest Springfield and Greene County.
Historians believe about 4,500 Cherokee died on the trail after being forced off their eastern U.S. lands by the U.S. government. Several relocation routes crossed the country, the northern route cutting diagonally across Greene County.
The trail has been designated as part of the official National Historic Trail of Tears walking route. Ozark Greenways hopes to have the new trail in southwest Springfield open by Spring 2014.
The full list of Ozark Greenways trails in the Springfield area is here.
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