Last updated: April 22, 2026
Place
Springhill Park ACE
USACE
Quick Facts
Location:
1700 Lock And Dam Road, Barling, Arkansas, 72923.
Significance:
Springhill Park is located on the Trail of Tears Water Route, where thousands of people passed by on their way to Indian Territory, now the state of Oklahoma.
Designation:
Historic Site on the Trail of Tears NHT.
MANAGED BY:
US Army Corps of Engineers
Amenities
12 listed
Accessible Sites, Benches/Seating, Boat Ramp, Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Information, Parking - Auto, Parking - Boat Trailer, Picnic Shelter/Pavilion, Picnic Table, Playground, Recreational Field, Restroom
Springhill Park is a site on the Water Route of the Trail of Tears, located only 15 miles from Indian Territory, now the state of Oklahoma.
The US government forcibly removed more than 15,000 Cherokee from their homelands in 1838-1839. Their Water Route was 1,300 miles on three rivers. Other Native peoples removed included 21,000 Muscogee Creek, 9,000 Choctaw, 6,000 Chickasaw, and 4,000 Seminole. All of the people traveled by land and water routes. They all passed this way.
Those who journeyed by water faced many challenges and dangers from overcrowding and sickness to strandings during low water levels. Steamboats required a great amount of knowledge and care to avoid disasters such as boiler explosions or collisions on the rivers.
Two major steamboat disasters contributed to tribes opting for land routes instead of water travel. In 1834, the Steamer Thomas Yeatman, used in Cherokee removal, blew a boiler, killing several crew members. A few years later, the Steamer Monmouth was struck by another steamer in the Mississippi River in 1837, breaking the boat in two and killing more than 288 Muscogee Creek and 34 enslaved people. These events coupled with the challenges faced by most boats on the Arkansas River, caused the Chickasaw to emigrate in greater numbers by land than water.
Safety Considerations
The US government forcibly removed more than 15,000 Cherokee from their homelands in 1838-1839. Their Water Route was 1,300 miles on three rivers. Other Native peoples removed included 21,000 Muscogee Creek, 9,000 Choctaw, 6,000 Chickasaw, and 4,000 Seminole. All of the people traveled by land and water routes. They all passed this way.
Those who journeyed by water faced many challenges and dangers from overcrowding and sickness to strandings during low water levels. Steamboats required a great amount of knowledge and care to avoid disasters such as boiler explosions or collisions on the rivers.
Two major steamboat disasters contributed to tribes opting for land routes instead of water travel. In 1834, the Steamer Thomas Yeatman, used in Cherokee removal, blew a boiler, killing several crew members. A few years later, the Steamer Monmouth was struck by another steamer in the Mississippi River in 1837, breaking the boat in two and killing more than 288 Muscogee Creek and 34 enslaved people. These events coupled with the challenges faced by most boats on the Arkansas River, caused the Chickasaw to emigrate in greater numbers by land than water.
Site Information
Location (1700 Lock And Dam Road, Barling, Arkansas, 72923)Safety Considerations