Native American

The list of items below have been tagged as part of the Native American historical collection here at AccessGenealogy.

Biographical Sketch of Richard L. Taylor

(Halfbreed and Ghigau)-Richard Lee, son of William and Elizabeth (Grimmett) Taylor was born in 1854. Married in 1880 Margaret Elminr Paden, born in 1856. They are the parents of: Nannie C. married Felix N. Holland; Annie Almira, married W. A. Corley; Mary Amelia, married Thomas E. Holland; Susie Bunch, married Claude Doherty; Richard Lee; William Benjamin, deceased, and Martha Catherine living, married Tiny Hill, deceased. Richard Lee Taylor was elected Sheriff of Flint District August 1, 1887; August 5, 1889 and August 1, 1893. Elected Senator from the same district August 3, 1903. Elected County Commissioner of Adair County November … Read more

Understanding the Obsession with All Things Cherokee

Many history buffs in the Georgia Mountains are obsessed with all things Cherokee. They assume that Creek place names such as Oconaluftee, Coosa, Oostanaula, Oothlooga, Etowah, Chattooga, Nottely, Yahoola, Enota, Tesnatee, Soque, Nacoochee, Tallulah, etc. are Cherokee words. The myths can all be traced to the presumptions made by the first white settlers to enter the region. That’s right . . . the main river on the North Carolina Cherokee Reservation is an Itsate Creek word meaning “Okonee People – isolated.”  The name has no meaning in Cherokee. The Okonee were major players in the mound-building business, who eventually joined … Read more

Discerning Facts and Myths About Track Rock Gap

In general, Loubser treated Cherokee legends as possible facts, while not discussing Creek Indian traditions whatsoever. Loubser first described two interpretations of the stone ruins that were provided to him by the staff of the Eastern Band of Cherokee’s Cultural Heritage Preservation Office.  Both interpreted the stone ruins as being burials. One version of this Cherokee legend is that the piles of stone at Track Rock Gap are the graves of great Cherokee warriors. There may be Cherokee burials at Track Rock Gap.  However, no stone burial cairns are associated with any known Cherokee village sites in North Carolina or … Read more

Interpretation of the Track Rock Gap Petroglyphs

As a major portion of its professional services to the U.S. Forest Service in the year 2000, Stratum Unlimited, LLC prepared graytone renderings of the six main boulders at Track Rock Gap. These renderings will be of incalculable value to the citizens of the United States in the future.  Because they remained exposed to the elements, the petroglyphs deteriorated at an accelerating pace in the early 21st century.  Acidic rainwater is the primary culprit.  The renderings of the Track Rock petroglyphs are presented on a website sponsored by the USFS. Johannes Loubser provided only generalized interpretation of the images on … Read more

Old Stone Fort

Old Stone Fort is one of the most beautiful Native American archaeological sites. When the Scottish, Ulster Scots and English settlers first arrived in eastern Tennessee and northwestern Georgia, they discovered a continuous chain composed of hundreds of fieldstone structures on the mountain and hill tops between Manchester, TN and Stone Mountain, GA. Some were merely piles of stones that archaeologists call cairns. Others formed small cylinders. Others were small rings. Still others were complex combinations of concentric rings with some perpendicular walls. At least two appeared to be walled villages. The Cherokees, who had moved into the region during … Read more

Mysterious Fort Mountain, Georgia

When the Scottish, Ulster Scots and English settlers first arrived in eastern Tennessee and northwestern Georgia, they discovered a continuous chain composed of hundreds of fieldstone structures on the mountain and hill tops between Manchester, TN and Stone Mountain, GA. Some were merely piles of stones that archaeologists call cairns. Others formed small cylinders. Others were small rings. Still others were complex combinations of concentric rings with some perpendicular walls. At least two appeared to be walled villages. The Cherokees, who had moved into the region during the late 1700s, told the settlers that they didn’t build these structures. Some … Read more

Other Missing Stone Archaeological Sites

Inexplicably, Loubser did not mention a major field stone structure complex in Union County that can be seen from the acropolis of the Track Rock terraces in his Appraisal of a Piled Stone Feature Complex report.. This archaeological zone is known as Fort Mountain. It is not the same site as Fort Mountain State Park in Murray County, GA.  It is located at the edge of the Nottely River Valley in the Choestoe Community.  The two sites align on the azimuth of the Winter Solstice sunset.  The plaza of the acropolis is also aligned to this azimuth.  Draw a line from … Read more

Track Rock Gap Archaeological Survey

In the year 2000 the district office of the U. S. Forest Service in Gainesville, GA contracted with South African archaeologist Johannes Loubser to study the Track Rock Petroglyphs. Loubser operates under the professional name of Stratum Unlimited, LLC. Loubser’s published paper on the Track Rock survey was co-authored by Dr. Douglas Frink of Worcester State College in Massachusetts. This article is a brief analysis of that survey.

The Track Rock Terrace Complex

In mid-July, a member of the Unicoi Turnpike Preservation Association,  telephoned me after reading an article that I had written in the Examiner. That particular column was about archaeological sites in western North Carolina.  He was also a member of the Towns County, GA Historical Society.  The Union County-Towns County line runs across the peak of Brasstown Bald Mountain, which contains Georgia’s highest elevation.  Brasstown Bald is immediately to the east of Track Rock Gap. The outdoor enthusiast was primarily interested in what I knew about the use of the Unicoi Turnpike during the Trail of Tears Period (1836-1838.)  The … Read more

Pre Darmos Casada

An inscription on a rock on Hoopers Bald contains the late Medieval Castillian words “PRE DARMOS CASADA – SEP 15, 1615” and an inscription on a boulder at Track Rock Gap contains the name “Liube 1725” a Jewish name… the significance of these inscriptions in South East United States are identified in this article.

The Trail to Yupaha

Track Rock Archaeological Site

An AccessGenealogy Exclusive: The Trail to Yupaha – Is Yupaha the Mayan connection to the Indians of the United States? This is a highly contentious look by Richard Thornton at the possibility of a trail he found in the Track Rock Gap area of Georgia being the connection to the Mayan of South America… The History Channel premiered it’s new show “American Unearthed” investigating this very issue. One of the people they interviewed on the show, now tells you in his own words, how this discovery all came about.

Biographical Sketch of Mrs. Richard Lafayette Smith

(See Grant and Ward) Richard Lafayette, son of Frederick David and Charlotte Elizabeth (Fields) Smith, born September 7, 1899, educated at Big Cabin. Married at Big Cabin May 31, 1919, Minnie Carrie, daughter of Robert Louis and Caroline Emma (Schmidt) Steigleder, born March 11, 1900, in Booneville, Missouri. They are the parents of Louis Richard Smith, born March 2, 1920 and Milton Eldo Smith born Nov. 5, 1921. Mr. Smith is a farmer and breeder of Purebreed Hereford cattle and is a member of the I. O. O. F. Fraternity. Mr. Steigleder was born July 10, 1862, in Iowa. Mrs. … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Mrs. Minerva Wormington

(See Ross)- Minerva, daughter of Isaac Alexander and Susannah Coody (Ross) Wilson was born at Tahlequah on Tuesday June 1, 1886. Educated in the Cherokee Public Schools and Female Seminary. She married in 1914 at Tulsa, Frederick Wormington and they are the parents of Lorine Wormington, age six. Mrs. Wormington’s father was a gentleman of more than ordinary intelligence and her mother was a member of the distinguished Ross family.

Biographical Sketch of Mrs. E. W. Gish

(See Colootsa, Cordery, Adair and Gosaduisga) Martin R. Brown, born February 27, 1858 at Fort Gibson. Married May 9, 1888 Nannie C. McNair, born in 1866. They were the parents of Catherine Brown born in 1891 at Tahlequah, married in Oklahoma City in 1915, Emmett W. Gish. They are the parents of Dorothy Louise Gish, age five years. Mr. Gish is a merchant in Oklahoma City. Mr and Mrs. Gish are members of the Presbyterian church.

Biographical Sketch of James Walker Reid

(See Thompson) A minister of the Presbyterian Church does not draw a large salary. Ordinarily he can by careful saving give his children a common school, high school or more rarely a university education, but it requires rare ability for a man to stay in the ministry through a long and useful life, generally stationed in the smaller cities, to give not only one but several of his sons and daughter extra American and European university educations, such as are generally at the behest of families of opulence, but this was one of the distinguished abilities of Reverend and Mrs. … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Charles D. Carter

(See Carter and Riley) Charles D., son of Captain Benjamin Wisner and Serena J. (Guy) Carter, was born August 6, 1868. Married December 29, 1891 Ada Gertrude Wilson. She died January 19, 1901. They were the parents of: Estella LeFlore, Lena Cecil, Julia Josephine and Benjamin Wisner Carter. Mr. Carter’s second wife was Mrs. Cecil Jones, nee Whittington. Nathaniel Carter, a Virginian, came to the Cherokee Nation and married a Cherokee. Their son David was born in 1802. He married in 1829 Jennie, daughter of Richard and Diana (Campbell) Riley, born in 1807. He was clerk of the Council in … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Sarah Burgess Williams

Daughter of William and Susan (Vance) Burgess was born at Pryor Creek, in 1857, married in the Indian Nation in 1893, William Williams, son of Elwood Williams. They are the parents of: Willie J. 26 years, and Annie Gladys age twenty two years. Mr. and Mrs. Williams are members of the Baptist church, and he is a member of the W. O. W.

Biographical Sketch of Mrs. Luther H. Adair

(See Ghigau and Adair)-Lillie M. daughter of Allen and Lou (Fisher) Waldrop was born in Texas Friday Dec 8, 1865. Married Nov. 17, 1883 Luther Martin, son of Captain Ephriam Martin and Sallie (Starr) Adair, born in Flint District April 30, 1859. He died January 3, 1908. They were the parents of. Sarah Leola, born June 3, 1885; William Luther, born Feb. 16, 1887; Mary, born Aug. 5, 1889; Myrtle Lucinda, born December 11, 1891; Altie, born Nov. 4, 1894; Collie Bessie, born Jan. 1, 1897; Emmet Marshall born July 11, 1899; Nona Bertha, born Sept. 17, 1901; Arnie C., … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Martin R. Brown

Commonly called by his Cherokee name Tuxie, was a very prominent citizen of the Cherokee Nation. Elected clerk of the Illinois District in 1881; elected a member of the Board of Education of the Cherokee Nation in November 1886, and Superintendent of the Male Seminary in 1894. Mr. and Mrs. Brown are now deceased.

Biographical Sketch of Frank R. Sullivan

(See Grant and Cordery)-Frank Robert, son of James and Mary Claremore April 5, 1878. Educated at Yellow Springs, Cooweescoowee District. Married Daisy Bishop. They were the parent; of James Bradshaw Sullivan, born June 10, 1897, Mr. Sullivan married June 2, 1900, Peggy Stop born in 1875 and educated at Catoosa. They are the parents of: Andrew Leerskov, born February 8, 1914, and Mary Belle Sullivan, born June 24, 1916. Mr. Sullivan is a farmer near Claremore. James, son of George and Elizabeth Ann (Rogers) Sullivan was born in Georgia April 23, 1849. Married Mary Ann, daughter of George Washington and … Read more