Finding the Trail of Tears in Crawford Co. MO.

Erin Witson, one of the Trail of Tears in Missouri’s most prolific researchers, is defending her doctorial dissertation Friday April 24. Let’s celebrate her impressive work and offer her our support as she approaches this important educational and career milestone. Go Erin!

Troy Wayne Poteete

February 6, 2026 – It is with deep regret that I inform you of the death of Troy Wayne Poteete….The Association will continue to move forward as Troy would want. – Jack D. Baker Troy Wayne’s Memorial Live Stream Video News Story Facebook Post by the Cherokee Nation

Update: Steelville Trail of Tears Remembrance Committee

Steelville Trail of Tears Remembrance Committee – Go to Website 2025 Highlights from Steelville’s Trail of Tears Project Thanks to supporters like you, 2025 was a year of visible progress and deepening community engagement. Bringing History to Life Reaching People Where They Are Learning, Sharing, and Partnering Events, Film, and the Road Ahead 100 from… Read More »

YouTube

The Missouri Chapter of the Trail of Tears Association just launched our YouTube Channel. We’ll post content focused on the Missouri Trail of Tears events created by chapter members.

Missouri State Archives Presentation

July 23, 2025 – Geospatially Rediscovering the Trail of Tears in Missouri: What role did early Missourians play in the Cherokee removal story? Is it one of racism, indifference and greed? With Missouri Humanities funding,  assistance from the State Historical Society of Missouri, and the  Trail of Tears Association, Dr. William Ambrose and Chris Dunn, Esq.… Read More »

MOToTA Board Meeting Minutes 20240615

Minutes of MoTOTA Board Meeting 6-15-2024 at Rolla Attending: Larry Hightower, Mark Spangler, Rusty Wiseman, Deloris Gray Wood, Jason Irby, Denise Dowling, Bill Ambrose Denise called the meeting to order at 1:00 p. m. Denise reviewed the previous minutes as follows: Brick Autry has agreed to serve as chapter treasurer. The newly received MoTOT’s Interpretive… Read More »

SAVE THE DATE: Dec. 7, 2024

Steelville will hold the 2nd Annual Walk along a short stretch of the Trail of Tears on Dec. 7. Walkers will meet at noon and travel 5 miles along the Northern Route of the Trail together. Those who would choose to ride their horses will have a longer route, as will those who choose to… Read More »

Update

With Many Years of Funding by the Missouri Humanities, The Missouri Chapter of the Trail of Tears Association Presents the Missouri Story of the Trail of Tears Website: motrailoftears.com The on-line interactive, multi-layered map of the Northern Route of the Trail of Tears is complete across the state with significant additions to relate historical Trail… Read More »

Steelville, Missouri ToT Happenings

Join in the Inaugural Remember the Removal Walk, Ride, and Bike along the original Trail of Tears Cannon Route east of Steelville. Watch the short video promotion here. The flyer’s text is included below in case you want to copy and paste: Trail of Tears – Remembrance CommitteeSteelville Area Historical Societywww.steelvillehistoricalsociety.comJoin in the Inaugural Remember… Read More »

The GLO as Cartographic Art

The PLSS: As a cartographer at law, I am fortunate to work with the GLO (General Land Office) maps developed for the Public Land Survey System (PLSS). Lamentably, the PLSS is the most important national governmental effort you didn’t learn about in school. The US government created GLO plats to map frontier property to sell… Read More »

Cherokee Removal and Routes Toward more Ethical Treatment of the Past

An Article by the Missouri Humanities’ Archeologist By Erin N. Whitson, M.S. Links added by Chris Dunn The Cherokee People Survived Most of us have heard about Cherokee Removal (or the Trail of Tears) at some point in the past. We’ve all heard the general layout of the story…Cherokee folks did everything in their power… Read More »

Family Maps

By William “Bill” Ambrose, DDS The “Family Maps” series of county land patentees has been an invaluable resource for Missouri Trail of Tears Association researchers in their efforts to better find the true path of the Trail of Tears across the state.  “Family Maps” are published by Arphax Publishing Co., and under copyright by Boyd… Read More »

We Added a New Map!

Its NToTA’s 25th! The 25th National Trail of Tears Association‘s Annual Conference & Symposium starts tomorrow. Check it out! Especially, the conference program. New: The Interactive Lt. B.B. Cannon Journal Map The Journal of BB Cannon is considered one of the best resources for exploring the history of the northern route of the Trail of… Read More »

There’s a New (Geology) Monograph!

Title: Charles-Alexandre Lesueur in Missouri: 1826 By Walter A. Schroeder, June 2003 Link: https://motrailoftears.com/library/monographs/charles-alexandre-lesueur-in-missouri-1826/ A Geological Summary of the Journal of the Voyage of Charles-Alexandre Lesueur from Harmony, Indiana to Southern Missouri in 1826. The area traversed by Lesueur on his trip to Missouri in 1826 included the geologic extremes of the Mississippi Embayment, a… Read More »

The Undiscovered Story

Let’s talk about how a team of people are sharing the Undiscovered Story of the Cherokee Tribe on the Trail of Tears in Missouri. I’m Chris Dunn, the GIS Guy on the team. For me, this project started sometime in 2019 when Dr. Bill Ambrose and Steve Belko, Ph.D. somehow found me, after looking around the State of Missouri for someone to begin mapping their research and discoveries. I knew very little about the Trail of Tears then.