Alabama
Chattahoochee Indian Heritage Center
The Trail of Tears
The Creek Trail of Tears began
here on the banks of the
Chattahoochee River.
A Symbolic Fire
A beautiful metal and stone
monument stands as the
centerpiece for the heritage
center. It was here that the fires
of the Creek Nation went out in
Alabama and Georgia, to be
kindled again west of the
Mississippi.
From this vicinity in 1836, began what would
become known as the Creek Trail of Tears.
Thousands of Creek Indians were marched
away from their homes, many in chains or at
the points of bayonets, to the "Indian Nations"
in what is now Oklahoma. The Chattahoochee
Indian Heritage Center is the eastern end of a
trail that leads west nearly 700 miles.
Located adjacent to the Heritage Center is a
reconstruction of Fort Mitchell, a U.S. Army
post that stood here from 1813 until the late
1830s. The fort was a key strategic point in
both the Creek War of 1813-1814 and the
Creek War of 1836-1837. The latter conflict
erupted when Creek warriors in this area
objected to their forced removal and engaged
in a brutal conflict with the whites who were
determined to take their lands.
As the army, with help from the Alabama and
Georgia militias and large numbers of U.S.
allied Creek warriors, overwhelmed these
"hostiles," they were brought here and held
under guard until they began their westward
march.
Thousands died on the trail.
Interpretive panels surrounding
this monument list the names of
Creek families who were forced
west by the U.S. Government.
The Center is located just south of
Phenix City. Take U.S. 431 from
the U.S. 280 interchange and
follow the signs. The site offers a
monument, interpretive panels, a
walking trail and more.
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