During the 19th and early 20th centuries , Higgenbotham 's Trace ( or Rainey 's Turnpike ) , a major road connecting McMinnville with the Sequatchie Valley , crossed the Rocky River near Pleasant Hill Cemetery , just north of Van Buren-Sequatchie county line . In 1838 , the northern route of the Trail of Tears , the path over which the Cherokee were removed from the eastern mountains to Oklahoma , followed this road . While the procession camped at the Rocky River , the Cherokee leader Junaluska and several supporters deserted and attempted to return to the east . They were eventually arrested and incarcerated . The Rocky River Crossing and the adjacent roadbed , which look much as they did 170 years ago , have since been added to the National Register of Historic Places
Trail of Tears
Trail of Tears
Rocky River (Tennessee)