A sign placed on Garland Street near this park by the U of A Alumni Association reads:
On Jan. 13, 1839, a group of 1,100 Cherokees led by John Benge passed through the frontier village of Fayetteville. They were traveling on the Trail of Tears from the Cherokee homelands in Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee to 'Indian Territory'(Oklahoma) as part of the forced removal of nearly 13,000 Cherokees ordered by President Andrew Jackson and the U S Congress. The Benge Party camped on the hillside to the north and east of this marker, near a creek and pond, secured supplies and repaired their wagons. They headed west on the Cane Hill Road the next day, arriving in Indian Territory on Jan.17, 1839.

Benge's Party had left from just south of present day Ft.Payne, Alabama around the end of September 1838. They arrived at Woodall's Farm near present day Westville Oklahoma on Jan.17 1839. They reported 33 deaths and 3 births among the party. Their route of travel had taken them through northeastern Arkansas near Batesville, through Norfork, Flippin, Yellville, Harrison, Alpena, Huntsville and over present day highways 74 and 16 to Fayetteville.

Bibliography:
U of A Alumni Association marker
Heritage Trail Partners Trail of Tears Research group
Cherokee Removal Detachment, document in preparation A D Poole WCHS Archival material