Imagine the Scene - rural Livingston County, Kentucky - Trail of Tears on Waymarking.com

My Commentary
This is a small park located at the end of Hwy 133 in Rural Livingston, Kentucky. The park contains the two markers, a boat ramp, parking, and a portable toilet. The markers are on the right as you enter the park. This marker is the closest to the river.

Berry Ferry was a Livingston county community on the Ohio River at the mouth of Givens Creek about 15 miles north of Smithland. It was established in the late eighteenth century and James Lusk operated a ferry there, followed by his wife, Sarah, after his death. The town of Golconda, Illinois was initially named Sarahville. The ferry was later operated by John Berry and his family. In the winter of 1837-1838 members of the Cherokee nation being forced west in the Trail of Tears were forced to camp in the area and cross to Illinois using the ferry. The ferry operated into the mid-twentieth century. The Lusks Ferry post office opened in 1833, was renamed Berry or Berrys Ferry in 1834, and operated intermittently until 1921.

- Kentucky Atlas Website

Marker Text:

Berry's Ferry and the Trail of Tears
Trail of Tears National Historic Trail
National Park Service
Trail of Tears Association

Imagine The Scene

Over 1,400 Cherokee men, women, and children
from Peter Hildebrand's detachment spent two
bitterly cold weeks camped in this area during the
harsh winter of 1838-1839.

The detachments ahead of them had successfully
crossed the icy Ohio River, but were trapped
between the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. Waiting
for the Mississippi River to thaw, all Cherokee
detachments in the area were at a standstill
and at the mercy of the weather. Hildebrand's
detachment camped for miles here along the road
until they could continue traveling west to Indian
Territory in present-day Oklahoma.

[Captions and Pictures:]
(background picture - Cherokee Camp @ Berry's Ferry)

(map of area and area Trail of Tears segment)
Retrace the trail. Original Route signs indicate that you are driving the historic route. At Mantle Rock Preserve, you can walk in the footsteps of the Cherokee along a hiking trail.

Routes: Hildebrand Route Address if available: US HWY 133 near Joy, KY USA 42891 Marker Website: [Web Link] Additional Coordinates: Not Listed Additional Information: Not listed

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