Northern Route

Collection, BCL-TOT-N

Loading...

The northern route follows the 1800s Jackson to Farmington Road. The Jackson to Farmington Road in Bollinger county can be shown on the 1843 State Road maps from the west side of the Mississippi River across from Chester, IL to Greenville. They show a portion of the Jackson to Farmington road and the Jackson to Fredericktown road.


The portion that moves into Bollinger County from Cape County is referenced in BB Cannon’s diary: "... halted and encamped at Widow Roberts on the road via Farmington (just before the Bollinger County line)." His diary of Nov. 17th, 1837 continues: "Marched at 8 o’c. A.M. halted at White Water Creek 4 o’c. P.M. Issued corn & fodder, corn meal and beef, 18 miles today.”


Coming from the Widow Roberts farm on the Cape County side to the road that comes into Sedgewickville you are following  BCR 228 to State Rd. WW that follows the main street through Sedgewickville and continues onto State Rd. EE west. About 100 yards off of EE on BCR 238, a witness structure called the Bollinger/Dolle Mill(1828) stood watch as the wagons, horses and thousands of Cherokee passed this way. Because the Mill was also the post office in this area for a while, we believe BCR 238 was actually part of the main road based on the 1906 Bollinger Plat map.


The trail continued west on BCR 246 and then onto BCR 214. The Conrad Johnson Cemetery on BCR 214 established in 1830s was also a silent witness to the tragedies that passed.


A portion of CR 214, west of State Hwy. 51 is now vacated so the closest current road is MO 51 until you reach BCR 930. Proceeding northwest on BCR 930, you would have passed the former mill that became the German Reformed Church for the first settlers.


About a half mile past the church/mill would have been the resting place for the Cannon party at the Hahn mill site in 1837. 


According to Cyrus McCormick, Missouri engineer and surveyor, and author of “The Missouri Indian Trails,” Hahn’s spring and mill was the camping spot at the end of the day on Nov. 17, 1837. “Mr. Hahn’s mother was a girl born in 1816 and she remembers well when the Indians camped there. Mr. Hahn, who was 88 years old in 1938, related the story his mother told him. The Cherokee camped there on the 17th day of Nov. 1837 and then proceeded to Yount just across the county line.”

The Hahn mill and spring are in the right location on Whitewater and for the 18 miles that were cited in the Cannon journal. 


BCR 920 completes the trail in Bollinger County before you cross into Perry County on PCR 722 at Yount.

Part of the Bollinger County Trail of Tears Archive, this collection features documents, maps, photographs, and books relating to the research of the Northern Route as it passed through the historical Bollinger County region.
Northern Route

Related Objects

Loading...