The 30th Annual Trail of Tears Commemorative Motorcycle Ride made its way through Athens and Limestone County Saturday, Sept. 16. More than 500 motorcyclists from across the southeast came together for a scenic ride across north Alabama to honor Native American Indians that once traveled through the region.

The Trail of Tears ride traveled from Bridgeport, in the northeastern part of Alabama, to the northwestern town of Waterloo. Along with the celebratory ride, there was a kick-off rally and a three-day Indian Festival.

The Trail of Tears Commemorative Motorcycle Ride began at the Alabama/Tennessee state line on U. S. Highway 72 in downtown Bridgeport. Riders travelled U. S. Highway 72 West to I-565 West arriving at Redstone Harley-Davidson Saturday morning and after a quick lunch, departed and headed west to Waterloo.

The Indian Removal Act of 1830 called for the removal of all Indians from the eastern United States to the state of Oklahoma. May of 1838 marked the deadline for voluntary native removal, and so began the Cherokee “Trail of Tears,” one of the darkest episodes in relations between the United States and Native Americans.

In 1838, the U.S. government hired wagon master J.C.S. Hood to transport Native Americans by foot and wagon from Ross’s Landing in Chattanooga, Tenn., to what is now Waterloo, Ala. Much of the journey followed what is now U.S. Highway 72. Many Native Americans died in Waterloo, and others escaped into the hills and today, area residents can trace their Native American ancestry to those who fled. As many as 4,000 deaths occurred because of this forced removal of civilized Native Americans from their rightful homes.

In recognition of this removal process, the first Trail of Tears Motorcycle Ride was organized in 1994 with approximately 100 riders participating.