New Echota Historic Site
(Georgia Department of Natural Resources)
CALHOUN, Ga. -- Candlelight tours are being offered of the historic capital of the Cherokee tribe in north Georgia.
Candlelight tours are being offered of the historic capital of the Cherokee tribe in north Georgia.
Visitors can tour the grounds by candlelight the evening of Dec. 1.
The Cherokee Legislature established New Echota in 1825. It was the site of the first Indian-language newspaper office. From the town, Cherokee leaders resisted relinquishing their remaining lands to the state of Georgia. The legal battle reached the U.S. Supreme Court.
The U.S. government eventually forced the Cherokee westward on what became known as the "Trail of Tears." That deportation began at New Echota.