A massive staircase to the river makes Ross’s Landing stand out among the bridges and arches along the Chattanooga Riverwalk, marking the place where the city first began as a white settlement within a landscape of Cherokee tribes. While the settlement first benefited both the settlers and the surrounding tribes, by 1837, the story had changed. All Cherokee residents were forced from their homes over the span of about two years and were collected at Ross Landing before embarking on the dangerous and deadly Trail of Tears to government land in Oklahoma.
Many died along the trail, and the ghosts of those who succumbed to terrible conditions and harsh walking returned to haunt Ross Landing, where the trauma began. Years later, a devastating flood took the lives of several Chattanooga residents along the riverwalk. Residents were killed so quickly that their ghosts remained at Ross Landing, confused and looking for their way home.
Standing on the steps of Ross Landing in the sunshine might give you a comfortable and nostalgic feeling, but set foot on the riverwalk at night, and you’ll feel a chill in the air that speaks of bloodshed, death, and fear.
Establishment Of Ross’s Landing Leads To Conflict
Ross’s Landing was established in 1816 with a trading post, a ferry landing, and a warehouse at a strategic point along the Tennessee River by a pair of brothers named John and Lewis Ross. Now located on Broad Street, the landing became the area’s epicenter for trade and commerce.
The peace established with the settlement ran its course in 1837 when the U.S. Government initiated the eviction of Native Americans to Indian Territory in Oklahoma. This triggered the collection of all the Cherokee in the area, who were taken to Ross’s Landing and sent from there on the Trail of Tears to their new, government-appointed land.
Cherokee legends state that a mythical, massive hawk god named Tia-Namu lived in the area on the famous Chattanooga bluff that overlooks the Tennessee River. When the Cherokee were removed, Tia-Namu fled the bluff with them, leaving a curse on the land.
Not every Native American lived through the grueling journey that was the Trail of Tears. Many succumbed to dehydration, exhaustion, hunger, and harsh conditions on the trail. And some say the spirits of those who were roughly evicted from their homes returned to Ross’s Landing, looking for revenge and seeking to reclaim their homes.
Death and Tragedy At The Ford
The forced eviction of the Cherokee from Ross’s Landing on the Trail of Tears left a permanent scar on the land, drenching it in the dredges of deep betrayal, loss, and devastation. And the tragic event isn’t the only mayhem to befall Ross’s Landing.