Two tombstones in the historic Potosi Presbyterian Cemetery, often quietly standing in the shadow of the grave of town founder Moses Austin, are now serving as a powerful and poignant physical connection to one of the darkest chapters in American history: the Trail of Tears. These weathered markers tell a deeply human story of survival, loss, and the devastating impact of forced removal. The Steelville Trail of Tears Remembrance Committee spent an afternoon cleaning and resetting the stones.

The nearly two-century-old granite markers memorialize Johnson Thompson and his young niece, Nancy J. Adair, two individuals who tragically perished in Potosi, Missouri, during the brutal winter of 1838-1839. They were part of the final Cherokee group on the northern route of the forced march, a detachment led by Richard Taylor. This group was known for its high mortality rates due to the severe weather conditions and lack of adequate provisions.

While many specific details of their individual struggles are lost to the cruel passage of time, their gravestones offer a rare, tangible piece of evidence of the immense suffering endured as thousands of Cherokee were forcibly removed from their ancestral lands in the southeastern United States and marched westward to what was then known as Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma). Potosi, a small but established town, lay along one of the main land routes, where hunger, disease, and exposure claimed countless lives, particularly during the exceptionally harsh winter. It's believed that Johnson Thompson took on the care of Nancy after her parents had succumbed to illness earlier in the arduous journey, only for both of them to fall ill near Caledonia, Missouri, and be transported to Potosi for treatment, where they ultimately passed.

Johnson Thompson’s stone had sunk and obscured some to the engraving.  After resetting and cleaning the stone, all of the engraving is now visible.

This is just one of the projects of the Steelville Trail of Tears Remembrance Committee. 

The Steelville Area Historical Society’s (501c3) Trail of Tears Remembrance Committee is a diverse group of people who share a desire to honor the Cherokee, Muscogee (Creek), and their enslaved people who were forced to walk the Northern Route of the Cherokee Trail of Tears. We hope to help people learn about, and better understand the 1837 – 1839 period in history (the good, the bad, and the ugly) …it is the local connection to American history.

We seek to fund a monument showing respect to the men, women, and children who died and were buried along the trail through Steelville and Crawford County, at the same time recognizing the strength and resiliency of those who made it to Indian Territory (Oklahoma).

Please help make this monument a reality.  All donations will benefit the establishment of the planned monument. Checks can be made payable to: STV HS ToT Memorial, and mailed to: Steelville Area Historical Society, 18 Cedar Lane, Steelville, MO 65565, or dropped off at FCNB. You can also visit their website https://trailoftears.steelvillehistoricalsociety.com/