Louisiana Purchase Exploration Trails

This is a survey of existing historic resources directly referencing the Custis-Freeman Expedition, the Dunbar-Hunter Expedition, people, places, or things directly related to one or both expeditions, or contextually related to the expeditions.

Existing Historical Markers

Marker Name & Link	Location	Mentions	Notes
Ancient Paths	Nacogdoches, TX	Context	El Camino Real de los Tejas
An Open Log Cabin and a Few Huts	Hot Springs, AR	Dunbar-Hunter	does not mention expedition by name but quotes journals
Clark County First Manufactory in Arkansas	Arkadelphia, AR	Context	Salt production; sits next to salt kettle
DeSoto Bluff Trail	Arkadelphia, AR	Dunbar-Hunter	DeSoto Bluff unmentioned in journals; editors suggest perhaps Ouachita River went in a different course where bluffs weren’t visible
Fort Adams	Woodville, MS	Site Visited	Contains factual error by conflating historical Philip Nolan with character from short story “The Man Without a Country”
Fort Miro	Monroe, LA	Site Visited
Fort Rosalie (Ft. Panmure)	Natchez, MS	Context
Indian Trail	Hot Springs, AR	Dunbar-Hunter
Military Road/Settlement of Midway	Donaldson, AR	Dunbar-Hunter	Midway side only; mentions Watermelon Island
Natchitoches-Natchez Road	Vidalia, LA	Site Visited	Ferry used by Dunbar in return journey
Post of Concord Established	Vidalia, LA	Site Visited
Prairie des Canots Seat of Justice	Monroe, LA	Site Visited	Site of Fort Miro
The American Transition	Natchitoches, LA	Freeman-Custis
Troyville Earthworks (diagram)	Jonesville, LA	Dunbar-Hunter	“early explorers” mentioned are Dunbar and Hunter
Troyville Earthworks (text only)	Jonesville, LA	Site Visited	“82 ft.” value & site description by William Dunbar
The Forest Plantation	S. of Natchez, MS	William Dunbar	Launching point for both expeditions; home & grave of William Dunbar