CHEROKEE INDIANS IN ARKANSAS

THERE IS A LEGEND AMONG THE CHEROKEE THAT TALKS ABOUT THE DANGEROUS MAN. HIS PEOPLE LIVED IN SOUTHWEST TEXAS AND NOT ARKANSAS. ABOUT 1775 THE CHIKAMONGA DROVE OFF THE FRENCH FROM THE LEAD MINES. THEY HAVE ACCESS TO THE LEAD NEEDED FOR THE WAR. IN 1785 THE CHICKAMONGA CHIEFS SIGNED THE HOPEWELL TREATY THAT YEAR. IT DEMANDED THE CHEROKEE TO COME UNDER NO OTHER SOVEREIGN TERRITORY THAN THE U.S. MANY CHIEFS REFUSED TO GIVE UP THERE OWN SOVEREIGNTY TO BE UNDER THE PROTECTION OF THE U.S. FOR MANY CHEROKEES THIS TREATY WAS UNACCEPTABLE AND THEY CHOSE TO LEAVE THEIR OLD NATIONS.

EVEN THOUGH THEY HAD THIS TREATY THE AMERICANS DID NOT STOP THE SETTLEMENT OF THE LANDS. ONE CHEROKEE, SPRING FROG, LED MANY FAMILIES WEST OF MISSISSIPPI TO ARKANSAS. THIS WAS THE BEGINNING OF VOLUNTARY REMOVAL OF CHEROKEE FROM OLD EASTERN LANDS TO ARKANSAS.

THE FIRST DOCUMENTED VILLAGE IN ARKANSAS WAS IN THE YEAR 1785 ON THE WHITE RIVER. HIS BIRTHPLACE CAN BE VISITED TODAY AT SPRING FROG'S CABIN. THE CHEROKEE IN NORTH CAROLINA HAD TO LEAVE DUE TO A MASSIVE EARTHQUAKE AND MOVED TO WHITE RIVER FOR A TIME. THEY LATER MOVED TO THE SOUTH BANKS OF THE ARKANSAS AND LATER TO TEXAS IN 1819. ABOUT 1809 CHIEF TAKATOKA SETTLED 300 CHEROKEE ON THE WHITE RIVER AND OTHERS MOVED TO NORTH CENTRAL. THE SHAWNEE MOVED HERE WITH CHEROKEE AFTER SEVERAL WARS WITH THE WHITES.

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