Last updated: September 21, 2021
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Trail of Tears National Historic Trail Fall Newsletter 2021
Read the latest project updates and completions from the National Trails Office of the National Park Service (NPS).
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Photo/Paula Ogden-Muse
National Trails Welcomes New Staff
Paula Ogden-Muse has joined the National Trails Office (NTIR) as the Team Lead for Interpretation. She began her Department of Interior career as a wilderness ranger, interpreter, and then an education specialist at North Cascades National Park. She's also worked for the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge in Wisconsin; Pipe Spring National Monument in Arizona; and, most recently, as the Chief of Interpretation for Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park and Charles Pinckney National Historic Site in South Carolina. She's settling into Santa Fe with her husband, Jeff, a writer who also works in historical interpretation and environmental education. In their free time, you'll find them visiting local museums; walking urban paths and forested trails; and birding every chance they get.
Photo/Faith Welty
Faith Welty has joined NTIR as an Outdoor Recreation Planner in June 2021. Faith holds a Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. Soon after graduation, she stepped into the role of a Landscape Architecture Fellow with the National Park Service’s Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program (RTCA) based at the Center for Community and Environmental Design at Purdue University. In her free time, you will find her engaging with the outdoors and cultural arts (very excited to experience more in Santa Fe!). As part of her duties, she will support NTIR in providing planning assistance to local partners and associations along the historic trails ensuring preservation and recognition of our National Historic Trails.
Staff Updates
NTIR is pleased to announce a few changes within the office. Coreen Donnelly is the new lead for the Design & Development Team, and Carole Wendler, who many have worked with as the lead for the Interpretation Team, is now the Deputy Superintendent, replacing John Canella. Congratulations to these staff members on their new positions!
Lillis Urban, who was leading NTIR's feasibility study process for the past year, has moved on. Jill Jensen, one of our cultural resources staff, will be temporarily promoted into the planning position and will be leading the feasibility study process for the next four months. NTIR is conducting feasibility studies for the potential Pike and Emancipation National Historic Trails (NHTs).
Work in the Time of Covid
NTIR staff have been teleworking full time from home since mid-March 2020, and will continue to do so until notified to return to our offices. Meanwhile, personnel are available during regular work hours through their usual email addresses and cell phone numbers. If you need a staffer’s cell number, call 505-988-6098 in Santa Fe or 801-741-1012 ext 119 to inquire.
Cherokee Youth Fellowship
Following a review of applications and interviewing, an applicant was selected and has accepted the fellowship position. The intern is going through the onboarding and background investigation processes, and is slated to start work at the end of September this year. NTIR is partnering with American Conservation Experience (ACE) to hire this Cherokee Youth Fellow for an 18-month term position. The fellow will assist with developing web media components and videos about traveling the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail.
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National Historic Trails Wayside/Sign Inventory Application
The mobile application (app) is used to track assets along the trail such as interpretive waysides, museum exhibits, and NHT road or pedestrian signs. The app utilizes a user-friendly interface, similar to a fillable PDF, and eliminates the use of complex and sometimes costly GPS devices. The instructional video for the National Historic Trail Waysides/Signs Inventory App (NHT Asset Inventory) can now be viewed on YouTube. Below is the URL for the training video to provide more information to members regarding the NHT Wayside Signage Inventory App.
If you are a member of the Trail of Tears Association and interested in joining this effort, please contact Troy Wayne Poteete concerning your interest and CC National Trails GIS Specialist Brian Deaton on the email.
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Middle Tennessee State University
The agreement with Middle Tennessee State University, Center for Historic Preservation (CHP) ended in June 2021. Deliverables include a narrative report and booklet, “Rivers, Rails & Roads: Transportation During the Cherokee Removal 1837 – 1839,” which is available online and in printed form. (And can be found below.) CHP sent copies to the Trail of Tears National Association as well as to each of the state chapters. Amy Kostine gave a lecture on the project at a virtual teacher workshop and will be presenting in November as well. Additionally, CHP completed a National Register update for Brown's Ferry Tavern and updated and submitted a National Register Nomination for the Higginbotham Turnpike in Van Buren County, TN, which has been approved and listed. The final document produced as part of this agreement is an in-house draft “Transportation Resources on the Cherokee Trail of Tears, 1834-1840” National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form.
Route refinement proposals
In July 2021, NTIR finalized the proposed Trail of Tears NHT refinement from Farmington (in St. Francois County)-Caledonia (in Washington County), MO, submitted by Deloris Wood. Five other route refinement proposals are under review.
External Projects
- Pedestrian archeological survey has been completed for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Utilities Service’s project to construct a high-speed fiber optic network within the Hanging Dog and Grape Creek communities in western North Carolina. The survey results were reported in the draft Archeological Survey for the Blue Ridge Mountain EMC’s Community Connect Grant Project in the Hanging Dog and Grape Creek Communities, Cherokee County, North Carolina.
- Our office has commented on two Tennessee Valley Authority projects through our internal environmental review system. Both projects are for the retirement of coal plants in Tennessee and potential energy generation replacements. The boundaries for some of the alternatives for the replacement energy projects are not well-defined and encompass Trail of Trails NHT alignments. In both instances this was communicated and the geospatial data for the trail alignment was provided.
Signing Updates
Completed and ordered sign plans in FY21:
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We have successfully ordered 6 separate sign plans along the Trail of Tears. These plans are within Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, and Arkansas.
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A notable highlight is that we were able to coordinate with Port Royal National Historic Park in Montgomery Tennessee to order and install road and pedestrian signs. These signs were installed within Montgomery Tennessee and Port Royal National Historic State Park.
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There was a lot of collaboration with this signing effort along the Trail of Tears, and we are grateful for all the support from each of the partners for making these sign plans come to fruition.
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Looking forward to the next fiscal year we are going to hit the ground running and complete a signing effort in Shelby County, Tennessee (Memphis).
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Virtual Trail Stories & Experiences
Have you been following the trails on social media? You may have noticed an increase in articles, virtual visits, and virtual kids' activities. People can't travel to experience the trails in person, so the national trails' staff has been working to bring the trails to your house. You can check out recent and past articles, become a junior ranger, take virtual visits to learn more about trail sites, and more - click the links below!