EDEN, MD - A living black history site opened Monday in Wicomico County, one of the few such monuments in the country.
"Hattie's Trail" runs along the property once owned by Buffalo Soldier Thomas Polk and his wife Harriet "Hattie" Polk in the 1800's and will be part of a larger monument including a visitor's center. Organizers said the site will be used to educate the community about the courage of the soldiers who served in the U.S. Army after the Civil War.
The trail project has been in the works for more than a year and has received help from the Chesapeake Bay Trust, the Preservation Trust of Wicomico, Salisbury University, and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. On Monday, the trail was formally opened to the public as a place to visit and reflect.
Organizers said the next phase of the public will involve building a visitor's center which will be called the "Thomas Polk Senior Buffalo Soldier Outpost."
"Hattie's Trail" can be found at 4013 South Upper Ferry Road in Eden, MD. There is no admission fee and parking is free.
