Gated entrance to City Park West.
SHEFFIELD – Near Village One, tucked away neatly lies a tract of land that once seemed to hold promise as a new city park. It was to be filled with picnic tables and pavilions. Bathrooms for park-goers. Just off the parking lot was a path that led to the bluffs and the site of the storied Tuscumbia Landing. That was the place, in the early 1800’s, where men, operating under the orders of the Federal Government, loaded men, women and children of the Creek, Cherokee and Chickasaw Nations onto river boats for a short trek across to Waterloo. Afterwards they were marched out to the new territories in Oklahoma, in what was called The Great Removal. This is last remaining waterfront site of the entire Trail of Tears that is not underwater.
For about the last 15 years, the site has suffered multiple insults. The park is closed. The fence and steel gate haven’t been sufficient to keep the vandals out. It is a pretty sorry site to behold.
In the last few years, City Park West (also known for a time as George Carter Park) there have been plans-a-plenty. Somebody was going to come in and build a big golf course. It was going to give Colbert County’s Robert Trent Jones a run for its money. Then the Great Recession hit, and it was all over but the shouting. Never happened.
Then the City got together a Port Authority that was going to have the ability to make improvements with some federal, state and city funds. But economic times are tough, and try as they might, there just wasn’t enough money to go around for all of Sheffield’s needs.
At last week’s Port Authority meeting, it was decided that the next move would be to try and get some state Indian tribes to take over the grounds. Possibly they could build a museum, or ‘interpretative center’ as they’re now called.
So that is the latest in the saga of a beautiful piece of land on the bluffs. The Port Authority is going to take a few months to get things organized, according to City Council Member Steve Stanley.
