Trail of Tears State Forest
state forest in Union County, Illinois, United States
Trail of Tears State Forest is a State of Illinois conservation area on 5,114 acres (2,070 ha) in Union County, Illinois, United States.
Trail of Tears was established in 1929 when Illinois purchased 3,000-acre (1,200 ha) acres of Shawnee Hills land and used the resulting land to create the Kohn-Jackson Forest (later Union County State Forest). Soon afterwards, the state park was improved with work performed by the Civilian Conservation Corps. Subsequent land acquisitions created the 5,114-acre (2,070 ha) Trail of Tears State Forest of today. The forest occupies land near the route followed by the Cherokee in December 1838 during their forced relocation in the Trail of Tears.
Today's state forest contains a state tree nursery, the 222-acre (90 ha) Ozark Hills Nature Preserve, and 22 miles (35 km) of trails for hiking and equestrian use. The nearest town of any size is Jonesboro, Illinois.
See also
Union County State Fish and Wildlife Area
References
External links
"Trail of Tears State Forest". Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Archived from the original on April 25, 2007.
The public source identifies “Trail of Tears State Forest” as state forest in Union County, Illinois, United States. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Trail, Tears and State.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Trail of Tears State Forest”, the useful work is to connect “state forest in Union County, Illinois, United States” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 7, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q7832754. Authority coordinates are 37.515, -89.340. 1 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1929, 1838 and 2007.
Modern boundaries and familiar names can conceal earlier jurisdictions or structures that do not align with the present site. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Trail of Tears State Forest”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Trail of Tears State Forest primary sources, Trail of Tears State Forest archive and Trail research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Trail of Tears State Forest”?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Trail of Tears State Forest” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.