The Potawatomi Trail of Death refers to the forced removal in 1838 of almost nine hundred Native Americans of the Potawatomi tribe/nation from Indiana, conducted by the U.S. militia, which forced them to march to reservation land in Kansas. During this march, many Potawatomi died, particularly children. The map below shows the known points at which they camped. One of these stops was Springfield, commemorated on the boulder below.
http://www.kansasheritage.org/PBP/people/trail_map.html