News & Events

The Heritage Trail Partners will be announcing and promoting a variety of events throughout the region that support the historic trail system. If your community or organization is planning an event related to the Heritage Trail please contact us.

Heritage Trail Partners Hosts Sesquicentennial Commemorative Butterfield Stagecoach Ride Through Northwest Arkansas Fayetteville, ARKANSAS
Heritage Trail Partners is pleased to announce the fifth annual stagecoach ride and horse cavalcade through Northwest Arkansas, commemorating the historical Butterfield Stagecoach route. This Sesquicentennial event will take place on Friday, September 12 through Sunday, September 14, at special stops along the historic Butterfield Stagecoach route. [More...]

“Trail of Tears Program”

The Arkansas Chapter of the Trail of Tears Association (ARTOTA) will host an afternoon of programs Saturday, July 19, beginning at 1:00 p.m. at the Crawford County Adult Education Building in Van Buren. Programs include:

Survivors on the Trail of Tears
Van Buren and Indian Removal
The Legacy of John Drennen
New Research on the Old Fort Smith to Jackson Road
Heritage Trails in Arkansas
Tour of the Drennen-Scott House

The Trail of Tears Association is a national support network for the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail. Designated as a national historic trail by Congress in 1987, the Trail commemorates the forced removal of the Cherokee people from their homelands in the southeastern United States to Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma) in 1838 – 1839. The Arkansas Chapter focuses on the history and recognition of Indian removal routes through Arkansas.

The programs are free and open to the public. Attendance certificates will be available for teachers interested in professional development credit. The Crawford County Adult Education Building is located at 605 Alma Boulevard Circle in Van Buren. For more information, contact Susan Young, ARTOTA secretary, at 479-750-8165 or email syoung@springdaleark.org.

Area Experts to Teach About Historic Trails in Region
Three historic trails lead to a workshop for teachers on May 15 — the Butterfield Trail Stagecoach route, the Trail of Tears traveled by the Cherokee Nation and Civil War troop routes through Northwest Arkansas. [More...]

Old West Film Fest at Shiloh, Celebrating Stagecoaches
In celebration of the Rodeo of the Ozarks and the sesquicentennial of the Butterfield Overland Stage, the Shiloh Museum of Ozark History will host an Old West Film Fest featuring stagecoaches in silent westerns Friday, July 4, from 10:00 am. to 3:30 p.m. The film fest is free, and popcorn and lemonade will be served. The Shiloh Museum is located at the corner of Johnson and Main in downtown Springdale. For more information, call 750-8165.

Film Fest Schedule
10:00-11:00 am: THE BARGAIN (1914), an early William S. Hart film about a crook who is nursed back to health by a rancher's daughter after being wounded during a stagecoach robbery.

11:00-noon: THE SILENT MAN (1917), another film featuring William S. Hart as a fellow who turns stagecoach bandit after his claim to gold is taken by a sleazy dance hall owner.

Noon- 1pm: Lunch break

1:15-2:30 pm: THUNDERING HOOFS (1924), a rarely seen silent featuring Western star Fred Thomson as a marshal, falsely accused of murder, who makes his escape in the nick of time, saving his horse and getting the girl in the process.

2:30-3:30 pm: THE LAST TRAIL (1927), a Tom Mix film featuring stagecoach robberies and a stagecoach race that rivals the famous Ben Hur chariot race.

Butterfield Overland Mail Sesquicentennial Pageant
Heritage Trail Partners and the Miss Heart of the Ozarks Pageant will sponsor a Butterfield Overland Mail Sesquicentennial Pageant on Saturday, August 2. Six divisional winners will be selected to serve as ambassadors for the Butterfield Sesquicentennial ride, September 13-15, 2008. The contest will be held at the Fayetteville Town Center, 15 W. Mountain, on the southside of the Fayetteville Square. Contestants will compete in two categories:
Western Wear/pioneer days wear and Evening wear. [Download pageant information] (PDF)

Questions can be directed to Robyn Ledbetter (479)409-0161 or rstarling@yahoo.com.

National Park Service backs Butterfield Trail bill
National Park Service officials on Wednesday (4/9) endorsed a bill to study upgrading the historic Butterfield Trail. A Park Service official told a Senate panel the agency supported legislation to determine whether the 2,800-mile trail that cuts through western Arkansas should be designated a national historic trail. [Read More at the Arkansas News Bureau…]

HTP Vice President John McLarty
presents a program on the work
of the Heritage Trail Partners
at the Pea Ridge Museum.
[Photo by Glenn Jones]

Trail of Tears' Bell & Benge Routes Called Significant
A National Park Service draft study confirms the two routes have a place in history. A park-service report calls the routes “historically significant” and finds that they meet all the necessary criteria to be incorporated into the National Historic Trail System. [Read Article...]

Symposium Podcasts Available
In October 2007 Heritage Trail Partners sponsored a symposium, “Cherokee Footsteps in Northwest Arkansas.” Held at the Shiloh Museum of Ozark History, the symposium was funded in part by a grant from the Arkansas Humanities Council. The Shiloh Museum now offers podcasts (downloadable recordings) of several of the symposium sessions. Click here to go to the Shiloh Museum website and download podcasts #31 and #32.

jones tv

Trail of Tears video to be produced at Jones TV
John McLarty visits with Carolyn Long, senior producer at Jones TV in Springdale. John presented material done by Trail of Tears Research team. Jones TV is working on producing a video to tell the Trail of Tears story in NW Arkansas.

stagecoach

Butterfield Stagecoach Commemorative Ride
148 year-old Butterfield Stagecoach Route Retraced Through Northwest Arkansas.
The 4th annual Butterfield Stagecoach Commemorative Ride was held September 15-16. [More...]

Northwest Arkansas Community College Support
The Northwest Arkansas Community College has adopted a resolution in support of the Heritage Trail in Northwest Arkansas. Downtown Bentonville and Downtown Rogers will eventually be linked by the trail that will pass through the Northwest Arkansas Community College campus. [Read the resolution...]

Congressional Hearings on Butterfield Overland Trail
A Congressional subcommittee held hearings recently on a bill to examine the 2,800-mile Butterfield Overland Trail, which cuts through Northwest Arkansas and ends in San Francisco. The bill won the endorsement of the National Park Service at a House hearing on July 19, 2007.

Heritage Trail Partners representative Marilyn Heifner offered testimony at the hearing providing recorded quotes from Butterfield passengers and describing the various re-enactments that occur every year along the trail.
[Download summary of official testimony...] (PDF)

Trail of Tears Presentation

John McLarty and the Heritage Trail Partners team makes a presentation to the Trail of Tears, Arkansas chapter Board of Directors on Saturday, April 14 at Shiloh Museum in Springdale.

Hall of Fame Induction

Heriitage Trail Partner’s own Marilyn Heifner was inducted into the Arkansas Tourism Hall of Fame during the 2007 Governor’s Conference on Tourism held in Hot Springs recently. [More...]

Tourism Award Nomination

The Heritage Trail Partners was a finalist for the ARKANSAS HERITAGE AWARD in 2007 presented at the Governor's Conference on Tourism. [More...]

HTP Board Meets with Congressman Boozman's Representative

Heritge Trail Partner Board members met with Maggie Lemmerman from Congressman’s Boozman’s office for an update on Butterfield Trail national heritage trail designation. Pictured (photo on the right) are Glenn Jones, Marilyn Heifner, Maggie Lemmerman, and John McLarty.

Heritage Trail Markers Dedicated

Heritage Trail Partners and the City of Bentonville dedicated two signs marking the Heritage Trail through Bentonville on Monday, February 26.

The first dedication was on Central Avenue near Dave Peel Park, just southeast of the Bentonville Square, marking the Civil War route taken by Union General Franz Siegel’s troops in March 1862 as they left Bentonville on the way to Pea Ridge.

bentonville sign dedication The second dedication was on the south side of Eagle Way near Burns Hall on the Northwest Arkansas Community College campus. This sign marks a spur trail linking the Heritage Trails in downtown Bentonville and downtown Rogers.

Speakers for the sign dedications included Bentonville Mayor Bob McCaslin, Pea Ridge National Military Park Superintendent John Scott, and John McLarty, transportation planner with the Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission.

Heritage Trail Partners is a non-profit organization dedicated to documenting, preserving, and promoting historic roads and trails in western Arkansas. “One of our main projects is to place Heritage Trail signs at locations associated with historic routes of the Butterfield Stage, the Trail of Tears, and Civil War troop movements in the region,” said Jackie Crabtree, president of Heritage Trail Partners. “When completed, the trail will connect Northwest Arkansas to its rich heritage and cultural assets, and provide opportunities to experience the historic and natural environments of the area,” continued Crabtree.

You can read more about the dedication at NWANews.com. For more information about the sign dedication or about Heritage Trail Partners, contact Susan Young at 750-8165.

2006 Accomplishments for HTP

The Heritage Trail Partners reached a number of goals in 2006 thanks to the help and support of our board members, volunteers and supporters. Please read more about the progress we enjoyed in 2006. [More…]

cane hill tour
Cane Hill Tour

Members of Heritage Trail Partners (Marilyn Heifner and Susan Young) met with Congressman John Bozeman’s staff (Tim Riley and Carie Brazeal) at Cane Hill College (near Lincoln and Prairie Grove) to discuss potential signage for Battle of Cane Hill and driving tour of area.

Heritage Trail Partners Dedicate Trail Signs in Springdale
The Heritage Trail Partners in cooperation with the City of Springdale dedicated the first of numerous signs marking the Heritage Trail through Springdale, Wednesday, October 4. The signs will mark the Butterfield Stage coach route, the Trail of Tears, and Civil War troop movements. The routes associated with these three historic events make up the primary network of the Heritage Trail Plan. [More...]

Trail Markers Unveiled at Dedications
Heritage Trail Partners in cooperation with the City of Fayetteville dedicated the first of numerous signs marking the Heritage Trail through Fayetteville. The Fayetteville dedication followed the official unveiling of the markers during a ceremony at Cross Hollow in Lowell earlier this year. This location is a site of a Civil War encampment and the location where the Butterfield Stagecoach, Trail of Tears and Civil War trails coincide. [More...]

Guests at Recent Meeting

Recently the Heritage Trail Partners were honored to have Drucilla Morris and Marcella Sharum at our monthly meeting. These two ladies are long time residents of Northwest Arkansas and descendants of the Head family. Drucilla and Marcella played an integral role in the development of the historic marker and exhibits placed at Head’s Crossing on the White River, now Beaver Lake east of Springdale.

Pictured to the right are (left to right, Drucilla Morris, John Scott and Marcella Sharum.)

Congressman John Boozman Meeting

Several of the HTP board members recently met with U.S. Congressman John Boozman about the Heritage Trail. In the photo from left to right are John McClarty, Marilyn Heifner, Congressman Boozman and Glenn Jones.

Legislation to Complete Trail of Tears
June 29th, 2005

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Congressmen Marion Berry (D-AR, 1st) and Zach Wamp (R-TN, 3rd) introduced legislation that would encourage the Secretary of the Interior to complete the National Historic Trail of Tears from North Carolina to Oklahoma. The proposed routes include two trails in Arkansas where close to 2,000 Cherokee traveled after the U.S. government forced them to find new land in Indian Territory. [Read More...] (pdf file)

Fayetteville Spillway Bridge & Multi-Use Trail
June 30th, 2005

Fayetteville has completed another trail project, Lake Fayetteville spillway bridge and multi-use trail. The new trail project completes this loop for trail users of all abilities by providing a paved multi-use trail and bridge over Clear Creek, just below the spillway. [Read More...] (pdf)