John Ross house in Tennessee added as Trail of Tears historical site

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) _ The John Ross House has been named an official site on the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail. <br/><br/>Ross was the last principal chief of the Cherokee Nation before the

Tuesday, November 9th 2004, 11:50 am

By: News On 6

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) _ The John Ross House has been named an official site on the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail.

Ross was the last principal chief of the Cherokee Nation before the US government forcibly removed the tribe to what is now Oklahoma in the 1830's.

The historic trail traces the routes over which the Cherokees were forced to leave the mountains and the Tennessee Valley -- a removal that became known as the Trail of Tears. It includes about 22-hundred miles of land and water routes in nine states, including northwest Alabama.

John Ross House Association President Larry Rose says the new designation means his group will now be a partner with the National Park Service in preserving and interpreting the home.

The house is in Rossville, Georgia, which borders Chattanooga.