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"New Echota fell
into ruin in the years following the Trail of Tears. All of the buildings,
except the Worcester House, were destroyed. Even the trees that once shaded
the town were cut and the area was cleared for farming. Use your Imagination
and picture what it would have been like to stand on this spot in 1830. Around
you stood a town consisting of about ten dwelling houses, four stores, three
government buildings, and twenty-five outbuildings such as corn cribs and
stables. About fifty people lived here, but during council meetings several
hundred Cherokees filled the town. The town square and public buildings in
front of you formed the town center around which New Echota's residents lived.
Georgia Highway 225 today blocks the view north to the Oostanaula River, which
formed the northern limits of New Echota." So reads the SGT brochure/map
regarding our second stop. There's not too much to photograph in
this particular spot except
informational signs. One such
sign tells us about the first council meeting here:
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"From
1788-1816 the Cherokee Council met at Oostanauleh located about four
miles east of here. In 1819 a new council house was constructed at New
Town and the seat of the Cherokee government moved here. In 1825 the
council selected New Town as the permanent capital of the Cherokee Nation
and the name was changed to New Echota in memory of the old, beloved
town of Chota."
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New Echota’s First Council House
"The 1819 council house consisted of two open shelters
facing each other with a log house at one end. Its exact location has never
been determined but it probably stood near the center of town. In 1822 the
Council authorized the construction of a new council house to replace it."
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The same
sign introduces us to Major Ridge, who will figure significantly into
the legacy of New Echota later (which you already know if you visited
the museum with me).
"Major
Ridge was a prominent Cherokee leader during the early 1800's. He was
a frequent visitor to New Echota and in October 1819, he led the procession
of Cherokee officials into the Council House for the first session.
Rev. Abraham Steiner was there that day and described what took place:
'It was past noon, the council had convened and a multitude of people
gathered. All at once a troop of horsemen were seen coming along the
road . . . with a stately looking person in front. A little way from
the council they alighted, marched two in a file toward the council
house with the stately person before them, whom I observed on drawing
near to be the Ridge . . . who is reported to be the greatest orator
in the nation.'"
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Major Ridge
(c. 1771 - 1839)
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"You are now standing near the center of the former Cherokee
capital. New Echota was a planned community, divided into a series of lots
and streets. The Cherokee government buildings; the Council House, Supreme
Courthouse, and printing office dominated the center of town, with several
private homes, stores, a ferry, and a mission station in the surrounding area.
To your left, Highway 225 blocks the view north to the Oostanaula River which
formed the northern limits of New Echota. Benjamin Gold stood near here
in 1829 and described what he saw:
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'This neighborhood
is truly an interesting and pleasant place; the ground is as level and
smooth as a house floor; the center of the nation - a new place, laid
out in city form. Six new frame houses in sight besides the Council
House, Courthouse, printing office, and four stores, all in sight of
Mr. Boudinot’s house.'"
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"You are now standing on New
Town Road which served as New Echota’s main street during the early
1800s. New town Road was a major route through the Cherokee Nation.
One-half mile to your left the road crossed the river via a ferry operated
by Alexander McCoy."
"There is much travel through [New Echota] . . .
large wagons of six horses go to Augusta . . . I have seen eleven of
these large wagons pass by [here] in company." - Benjamin Gold
1829
"By 1830 a road system was in place throughout the
Cherokee Nation. Many of the modern highways in North Georgia still
follow sections of the Cherokee roads."
"In November 1825 the Cherokee Council passed a resolution
naming New Echota the national capital of the Cherokee Nation. In February
1826, Cherokee surveyors divided their new capital into a series of
streets and 100 one-acre lots. You are now standing alongside one of
the streets."
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"A Town That
Disappeared – What you don’t see – By the late 1800's the town
of New Echota had ceased to exist. All of the buildings, except for the Worcester
House, had been destroyed. Even the trees that once shaded the town had been
cut and the area cleared for farming. The historic buildings you tour today
represent only a small part of what was once the town of New Echota. Many
other buildings were once located in New Echota including the four depicted
here. The exact sites where these four buildings once stood have not yet been
determined."
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"Wheeler
was a white man from Kentucky who moved to New Echota in 1827 to work
as a printer in the Cherokee Phoenix printing office. In 1829 he married
Nancy Watie, who was a sister of Elias Boudinot. Their house was described
as a 'handsome cottage.'"
"Historical
documents list them owning, in partnership, a dwelling house and two
stables at New Echota. Bell and Lynch were both prosperous Cherokee
farmers and businessmen. Since neither lived here they may have used
their New Echota house as rental property."
Before
we "Proceed down the street to the Council House." Let's look
at one more thing:
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"Candy was a Cherokee who
moved to New Echota to work as a printer and translator at the Cherokee
Phoenix printing office. He married Mary Ann Watie, who was a sister
of Elias Boudinot. After they moved from New Echota, their vacant house
was used by Sophia Sawyer as a school."
"At least
four stores were constructed at New Echota. McCoy’s store operated all
year while the others usually operated only during council meetings.
McCoy was a prominent Cherokee who served as a justice on the Cherokee
Supreme Court. His New Echota store was built of hewn logs and featured
a plank floor, counters, and shelves."
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"A favorite sport of the
Cherokee was a game called Anetsa. The objective was to score by
throwing a small ball through a goal at the end of a large playing
field. The first team to score 12 times was the winner. Each player carried two ball sticks which were used to pass the
ball from player to player. Games were usually hard fought and
bloody, sometimes lasting several hours. Many ball
games were played at New Echota during the 1820's and 1830's. The
exact site of the New Echota ball field is not known."
I took the pictures of the ball field and sign at
the end of my first visit. But this seemed as good a place as
any to include them. OK - Now we can move on to
our next stop. It is the new council house authorized to be
built in 1822.
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