The Story Of The City In Georgia That Vanished Virtually Overight

Georgia's history is long and fascinating, but unfortunately, it also contains plenty of tragic moments. It's hard not to look back from a modern-day viewpoint and feel regret about some of the terrible things that have happened in Peach State history, such as slavery and lynchings. Another stain upon Georgia history is immortalized at the New Echota Historic Site in Gordon County, not far from Calhoun. This was once the capital city of the Cherokee Nation.

The site of New Echota is in what is now northwest Georgia, right where the Coosawattee and Conasauga rivers meet.

The Cherokee moved here around in the late 1700s, migrating south from present-day Tennessee and South Carolina due to the increasing presence of European settlers.

In 1819, New Echota was officially designated as the Cherokee Nation's capital. The government met in the city, which had a Council House and even a Supreme Court.

The town also housed the office of the Cherokee Phoenix, the first Indian-language newspaper. There were homes, a ferry, and stores in the thriving town.

In 1832, the United States Congress passed the Indian Removal Act. Georgia's subsequent land lottery gave away land owned by the Cherokee to European settlers.

The Cherokee Nation did not agree to give up their lands and many stayed put. The Georgia Guard would eventually evict those who refused to leave.

By 1838, the United States Army was forcibly removing Native Americans from Georgia in the infamous Trail of Tears.

By this point, New Echota was essentially abandoned by the Cherokee. The military converted the town into a concentration camp known as Fort Wool. At the fort, Cherokee who had resided in the Gordon County area were held until the U.S. Army could move them to Indian Territory west of the Mississippi River.

After the Cherokee were moved, the New Echota area was abandoned for over 100 years. Most of the structures were lost to time.

In the 1950s, the land was designated as a state park. Many of the buildings that had been in New Echota were reconstructed based on archaeological finds.

Today, in addition to the reconstructed buildings and museum on the site, you can also find a monument dedicated to the Cherokee who were forced onto the Trail of Tears.

For more information about the New Echota State Historic Site, check out the Georgia State Parks website.