HISTORY · ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE
John Bridges Tavern and Store Site
History
1
Along Illinois Route 146 near Buncombe, this archaeological site preserves the remains of a tavern complex built in the early 1830s by either John Bridges Sr. or John Bridges Jr. Its greatest historical importance lies in the Trail of Tears: in 1838 and 1839, Cherokee people forced west through southern Illinois stopped here, and a spring on the property supplied water for both the travelers and their animals. Although the tavern burned in 1940 and parts of the complex were later demolished, some store remains survive. Archaeological investigations have continued at the site, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 8, 2017.
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