New Echota

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The monument on New Echota Historic Site honored the Cherokees who died on the Trail of Tears.

New Echota is one of state parks and historic sites in the State of Georgia, USA and part of a much larger area that was once the Cherokee nation. New Echota is 3.68 miles north of Calhoun, Georgia and south of Resaca, Georgia

By the start of the 19th century game had been depleted from northwestern Georgia and the region was occupied by many Cherokee people displaced southward and westward by various land cession. There is archeological evidence that the site of New Echota had been occupied by earlier villages before the Cherokee made it their capital in 1819. A Cherokee town called Gansagiyi (abbreviated Gansagi) was present at the site before its re-establishment as New Echota. Many earlier settlements, Cherokee and otherwise, occupied the site for centuries. Situated at the confluence of the Coosawattee River and Conasauga River, which join to form the Oostanaula River, and near to Town Creek, the site was repeatedly occupied.

New Echota was named after the old capital of the Overhill Cherokee, Chota, which had been destroyed in the late 18th century and the region ceded to the United States. "Chota" and "Echota" are common spellings of "Itsati", the Cherokee name. According to James Mooney, the meaning of the word is lost. The meaning of the Cherokee town name "Gansagiyi" is also lost. A common English name for New Echota was "Newtown" or "New Town", and these names are still used for the area around the state park. The area was also known as "The Fork" and "Fork Ferry" by the settlers.

Cherokee Phoenix

By 1823 the Cherokee Nation was meeting in New Echota. Its central location and easy access made the city an excellent choice for the capital. On November 12, 1825, New Echota was officially designated capital of the Cherokee Nation. At that time the tribal council also commenced a building program that included construction of a two-story Council House, a Supreme Court, and later the office (Printer Shop) of the Cherokee Phoenix where Elias Boudinot wrote and a white printer laid out the first Native American newspaper by Sequoyah. Private homes, stores, ferry and mission station are in the outlying area of New Echota. The town was quiet most of the year, but council meetings provide the opportunity for great social gatherings. During these meetings, several hundred Cherokees fill the town, arriving by foot, on horseback or in stylish carriages.

In 1832 Georgia's Sixth Land Lottery had given away the Cherokee land to settlers. There was one small problem: the Cherokee Nation had never ceded the land to the state. Over the next 6 years the brutal Georgia Guard would enforce their own brand of vigilante justice to the Cherokee. By 1834 New Echota was becoming a ghost town, and the council meetings were moved to Red Clay, Cherokee Nation (now Tennessee). In May 1835, a small group (300-500 Cherokee known as Ridgeites or the Treaty Party) signed the Treaty of New Echota in the home of Elias Boudinot including Major Ridge, John Ridge, and Andrew Ross, brother of John Ross.

In 1838 the U.S. Army, under the command of Winfield Scott, began the forced removal of the Cherokee from the state of Georgia. A Cherokee removal fort was located here, known as Fort Winfield Scott or Fort New Echota. The fort held Cherokee prisoners from Gordon County, Georgia and Pickens County, Georgia, and as the prisoners began their exodus to Rattlesnake Springs, Cherokee Nation (4 miles south of Charleston, Tennessee), the Cherokee from counties south and east of the area also were housed here.

Council House, Supreme House, and Print Shop, three of the reconstructed buildings in New Echota, were originally owned by Cherokee.

[edit] New Echota Historic Site

After the Cherokee were removed, the capital remained abandoned for more than 100 years but New Echota disappeared. Some of the houses continued to be used including most notably the house of Samuel Worcester, The Messenger, a missionary who brought Christianity to the Cherokee as Gordon County citizens called homes and farms. When the citizens deeded the land to the state for preservation the Worcester house, largest remaining structure, had been vacant for two years and the wear of the elements in that brief time was apparent to the state of Georgia.

In March 1954, Georgia Historical Commission archeologist named Lewis Larsen and five men were sent to oversee the work of excavating New Echota. Larsen and five men started to work slowly as they discovered the evidence that proved New Echota was not only the Cherokee occupation but also was one of eariler Indian cultures. They asked National Park Service archeologist named Joe Caldwell and more two workers to join them on next two months as they continued searching for more evidences. So far they discovered Spanish coin dated 1802, crockery, household wares, bootery remains, small lead, and other 1700 pieces. They identified 600 pieces as Cherokee characters used them. In addition to the standard finds, Larsen and Caldwell astonished the world by discovering much of the type used to print the Cherokee Phoenix plus remains of many of the buildings.

On March 13, 1957, following the news of Larsen and Caldwell's archeological finds, the state of Georgia authorized that the town of New Echota be reconstructed, as a Georgia State Park. They rebuilt some buildings of the village of New Echota as the Council House; the laws of the Cherokee Nation were enacted, the Supreme Court; the laws of the nation were enforced, the Printer Shop; a home of the Cherokee Phoenix; Common Cherokee Cabin; a home of the average Cherokee family, and Middle-Class Cherokee Home & Outbuildings; known as Middle Class Cherokee Farmland is a home of middle class Cherokee family. Vann's Tavern, owned by Chief Vann was "original" with modern nails and replacing woods but it is not New Echota Vann Tavern. It was relocated from Forsyth County, Georgia (Chief Vann owned 14 taverns across the state of Georgia). Original New Echota Vann Tavern was destroyed. site of former Elias Boudinot house is where the house was stood once but destroyed by a fire. The site is one that is not recontructed but served as a memorial to Boudinot. Worcester house was restored back to 19th century time. Other sites are not opened to a public, they are on now private properties. Across from New Echota, there were two farmhouse sites that owned by white men who married to Cherokee women are now part of Gordon County golf course.

In 1962, New Echota Historical Park was opened to public as a replica of the original office of the Cherokee Phoenix was a highlight of the tour. Inside that office were 600 pieces of type containing the lasting legacy of the first American Indian newspaper. They have reproduction of 19th century printing machine that tourists can have "reissue" Cherokee Phoneix newspapers to home. Later some type was moved to the museum and research facility that is built in front of New Echota. The three-quarter mile walk can be expanded by walking the Newtown Trail, a 1.2 mile interpreted trail that takes tourists to Town Creek (inside the center of New Echota), where the majority of Cherokee camped when the Council was in session. In 1973 when Georgia terminated Georgia Historical Commission that controlled New Echota Historic Site, New Echota Historic Site was turned to Department of Natural Resources or known as Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites that continues the service of this historic site from 1973.