"the People's Paths!" Cherokee News Path - Cherokees Help OK Preserve Cherokee History

Cherokee Scholar and inventor Sequoyah built this cabin in 1829 shortly after moving to Indian Territory. The cabin became the property of the Oklahoma Historical Society in 1936 and was enclosed in a stone cover building as a project of the Works Progress Administration. In 1966 the Secretary of the Interior designated the site as a National Historic Landmark. A $50,000 contribution from Cherokee Nation to the Oklahoma Historical Society will help maintain and preserve the site, along with two other Cherokee historical sites.

TAHLEQUAH, Oklahoma - As a way of helping preserve Cherokee history as a part of Oklahoma’s past, the Cherokee Nation recently provided $50,000 to the Oklahoma Historical Society. The contribution will help preserve three distinct sites: Sequoyah’s home near Sallisaw, the Murrell Home in Park Hill near Tahlequah, and the military fort site at Fort Gibson.

“The Cherokee story is a major part of history predating Oklahoma statehood,” said Chad Smith, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. “By working together, we can share this history with those who live here and visit here.”

For more than 100 years the Oklahoma Historical Society has strived to protect, chronicle and share the history of the state. Overseeing more than 20 museums and historic sites throughout Oklahoma, the Society offers intriguing destinations including historic homes, military sites, and museums that provide a unique glimpse into Oklahoma's past.

“Our mission is to preserve and perpetuate the history of Oklahoma and its people by collecting, interpreting and disseminating knowledge of Oklahoma,” said Dr. Bob Blackburn, Executive Director for the Oklahoma Historical Society. “While the funds will help maintain many hours of operation of these sites in the Cherokee Nation, what is more important is the commitment of partnership between Oklahoma and the Cherokee Nation to work together to share this history.”

Sequoyah built his cabin in 1829 shortly after moving to Indian Territory. The cabin became the property of the Oklahoma Historical Society in 1936 and was enclosed in a stone cover building as a project of the Works Progress Administration. In 1966 the Secretary of the Interior designated the site as a National Historic Landmark.

When the Cherokees were forced to leave their homes in the East during the "Trail of Tears" in 1838-1839, George M. Murrell chose to move with his wife's family to the new Nation in the West. In Park Hill, Indian Territory, he established a plantation and built a large frame home similar to those he remembered in Virginia. In 2007, the Murrell Home began a living history program aimed at educating school children about how the typical Cherokee family lived in the year 1850. The goal of the program is to contrast the life of the wealthy Murrell family with the life of the average Cherokee in the pre-Civil War period, while also illustrating the elements of daily life that people endured.

Established in 1824, Fort Gibson served as a starting point for several military expeditions that explored the west and sought peace between the tribes in the region. It was occupied through most of the Indian Removal period then abandoned in 1857. The post was reactivated during the Civil War, and the army stayed through the Reconstruction and Indian Wars periods, combating the problem of outlaws and squatters. In 1890, the army abandoned Fort Gibson for the last time.

For information on visiting these sites, go to OK History.