Remember Removal Bike Ride participants to visit Union County

Ten cyclists participating in the 2018 Remember the Removal Bike Ride left the Cherokee Nation Tuesday morning, May 29, to begin a three-week trek spanning approximately 950 miles along the northern route of the Trail of Tears.

The journey is scheduled to bring the riders through the Southern Illinois area, including Union County.

Camp Ground Church Meeting, Luncheon

The Illinois Chapter Trail of Tears Association plans to host a public meeting and luncheon Sunday, June 10, for the Cherokee Remember the Removal bicycle riders who will be traveling through the area.

The gathering will be at Camp Ground Church,  which is located east of Anna, and is scheduled to begin at 12:30 p.m.

In addition to meeting the riders, there will be an opportunity to view a 30-minute documentary on the Remember the Removal ride produced by the Cherokee Nation media outlet, Osiyo TV. 

Camp Ground Church is located at 50 Tunnel Ln., near Interstate 57. For more information call 618-697-2544.

The Cherokee Nation’s 10 cyclists planned to join eight from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in Cherokee, N.C. 

After participating in cultural activities and team-building exercises in North Carolina, their ride was scheduled to begin in New Echota, Ga., on June 3. 

While commemorating the 180th anniversary of the Trail of Tears, cyclists will travel through seven states before concluding in Tahlequah, Okla., on June 21.

The riders are scheduled to make stops at museums, grave sites, national parks, churches and other historic sites. 

Starting in 1838, Cherokees were rounded up and forced from their homes in Georgia, Tennessee and other southeastern states to the Cherokee Nation’s current capital in Tahlequah. 

Of approximately 16,000 Cherokees who were forced to make the journey to Indian Territory, about 4,000 died from disease, starvation and exposure to the elements.

The riders are scheduled to arrive in Golconda on June 10 and in Cape Girardeau on June 12.

The cyclists are scheduled to travel through Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma.

The Gazette-Democrat

112 Lafayette St.
Anna, Illinois 62906
Office Number: (618) 833-2158
Email: news@annanews.com

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