HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – A collection of artifacts discovered during development work in Hopkinsville has found a new home at the Trail of Tears Heritage Center, where volunteers plan to preserve and eventually display the pieces for visitors. The artifacts were recently discovered during work connected to the development of Commerce Park II.
John Crenshaw, chair of the Hopkinsville Industrial Foundation, said archaeological work was conducted as part of the development. The artifacts were originally set to go to the University of Louisville, where they could be studied, documented and potentially examined again as new dating techniques become available. However, because of where the artifacts were found and the area’s connection to the Trail of Tears, Crenshaw began considering whether they should remain in Hopkinsville.
“I think those artifacts need to come back home,” Crenshaw told Christian County Now. The collection was eventually transferred to the Trail of Tears Heritage Center at the Trail of Tears Commemorative Park.
Kelly Gentry, who helps care for the center, said the collection appears to include a large amount of pottery along with other pieces that will need additional research. “I expect to find some tool fragments in there and a lot of the pottery,” Gentry said.
The artifacts join an existing collection inside the center, which includes items that have been donated or brought in over the years. Gentry said volunteers preserve the items so they can remain available for future generations.
The park is located on the encampment that was occupied by over 15,000 Cherokee exiles on the Trail of Tears. This location in Hopkinsville holds gravesites of Chief Whitepath and Fly Smith.
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