Once home to the Creek Indians, scenic Shinbone Valley is tucked under a long stretch of northeastern Alabama's dominate Lookout Mountain. The Little and Coosa Rivers, along with Weiss Lake make-up the valley's principle waterways. This springtime valley view, a field covered in a mass of yellow blooms, was found along Route 273.
The Creek, Choctaw, Chickasaw and Cherokee Natives all enjoyed the bounty of these Appalachian foothills, making this section of Alabama one of the most populated regions of the United States before arrival of European settlers. During the late 1700s, the first few white newcomers lived peacefully among the Natives, negotiating personnel pacts with Chief Shinbone. Soon, settler demands for Native American lands increased, leading to federal government intervention.
During the lopsided Battle of Horseshoe Bend in 1819, Creeks vs. federal troops, Andrew Jackson was convinced to push for the Indian Removal Act. Once Jackson became President in 1836, one of the first directives was to remove 15,000 Creek Indians. Many were bound with chains and handcuffs, and relocated to Indian Territories west of the Mississippi, lending to disease, misery and death.