Google Earth has helped with a lot of things. I’ve used it to locate potential archaeology dig sites, to find historical locations, and of course, to look at my own house.
Now we can add to that list that it has been used to discover a segment of the Trail of Tears that had been lost to history. This isn’t a spur, either, but one of the main roads where thousands crossed the Stones River on the way to their ultimate fate.
An article in Indian Country gives the details: http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2012/09/20/lost-trail-of-tears-segment-discovered-using-google-earth-134920
The good news is that this segment is already being preserved, albeit, inadvertently. The land is owned by the Army Corps of Engineers and part of it is a horse trail today. This makes access easy for the public.
The segment has been confirmed as part of the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail by the National Park Service.
Hat tip to Steve for this great piece of news!
Photo copyright and compliments of www.nativehistoryassociation.org.
Native Heritage Project 
Hello Native Heritage Project, Very nice website!! On behalf of the Native History Association – Thank you for reposting our article on the Google Earth Discovery of the Old Jefferson segment of the Trail of Tears in Middle Tennessee. I would like to ask that you please credit the photo attached to our story to (www.nativehistoryassociation.org ) as it is copyrighted by our organization. We’re very honored to have our story featured here along with the photo, but as I’m sure you understand, we must insist that our copyrighted images are properly credited and protected. Thank you for your understanding. Keep up the excellent work!
Sincerely,
Pat Cummins
President,
Native History Association
Absolutely. Thank you for the work your organization does.
Your very welcome! We’re proud to work on behalf of our history and heritage!