 "Photo: Isaac Smith ~ Daily Egyptian")
For Joe Crabb, access to walk in the footsteps of Cherokee Indians who marched across his land more than 150 years ago should be shared with everyone.
Volunteers from the Shawnee Forest Service, the Shawnee Volunteer Corps and WSIU joined Crabb Saturday to begin clearing a three-quarter mile section of trail on his property he and experts believe is part of the original Trail of Tears.
Crabb, 81, of Grantsburg, and vice president of the Illinois Trail of Tears Association, said he and his wife Cindy have been living in Pope County for more than 45 years. He said it is a privilege to live near such a historic marker.
“We have determined the segment we are working on today is part of the original Trail of Tears,” Crabb said.
Crabb said the Trail of Tears remains one of the few historic remnants of the Cherokee, who had nothing but footprints to leave behind when they were forced off their land.
The trail begins three miles west of Golconda on Homberg County Road, travels west through Pope County and crosses U.S. Route 145 and Sugar Creek onto the Crabb-Abbott farm, he said.
Crabb said the nine-mile section of trail in Pope County can be broken into small segments for walking or touring in a vehicle.
Mary McCorvie, an archeologist with the Shawnee National Forest in Murphysboro, said it is important educate people on the historical significance of the trail and the access they have to it.
“This is the actual trail the (Cherokee) used,” McCorvie said. “Having something that authentic is important for people to know.”
McCorvie said the National Park Service is responsible for defining and maintaining historic trail systems and plans to identify the trail with markers, which will make it easier to find and follow.
“(It) was a terrible episode in our history and not something we want to forget,” McCorvie said.
Vickie Davenport, director of WSIU’s Southern Illinois Radio Information Service, said WSIU partnered with the Shawnee Forest Service to raise awareness of the trail and the effort to restore it. The partnership was funded by a grant from the National Park Service, Davenport said.
“This is the beginning of an effort for public access, and the idea here is this will be a loop people can walk and (explore),” Davenport said.
Doug Hughes, of Carterville, said he saw a clip on Channel 8 asking for volunteers to help clear the trail. Hughes and his wife Vivi joined more than 20 others in helping clear the trail.
“The thought of knowing how many people walked through here is amazing,” Hughes said. “Plus, I’m part Cherokee.”
Christina Spakousky can be reached at 536-3311 ext. 258.
