Did you know?
That when Cherokee Chief Sequoyah moved to Willstown, Alabama, he enlisted in the Cherokee Regiment, fighting in the Battle of Horseshoe Bend, which effectively ended the war against the Creek Redsticks? During the war, he became convinced of the necessity of literacy for his people. He and other Cherokees were unable to write letters home, read military orders, or record events as they occurred.
Indian Affairs: Laws and Treaties
Oklahoma State University has a compilation online that gives insight to the various treaties that have been drawn through the years.
LimitedX Photo Gallery
Purchase beautiful high-quality limited edition prints securely online and have them delivered to your mailbox via priority mail.
Fort Payne History
A Brief Historical Overview
Origins of the Town Name
In 1780, the area now known as Fort Payne, was named after the Cherokee Chief "Red-Haired" Will Weber. The name of this locale was known as Willisi and then Will's Town. What is officially now called DeKalb County was known as Will's County until 1836 when the name officially became DeKalb County.
In the 1820's, the American Board of Missions established a mission at Will's town. A short 15 years later, the Cherokee Indians, native to the area, were rounded up, placed in stockades and then marched to Oklahoma. The march, of course, is well known as the "Trail of Tears". The mission workers in the area protested; however, the forced removal of the Native Americans continued.
Trail of Tears National Historic Trail (Nat'l. Park Service)
Cherokee Messenger - Brief History of the Trail of Tears from the The Cherokee Cultural Society of Houston internet site.
The Trail of Tears Era - from The Cherokee Nation internet site
The first general use of the name "Fort Payne" came several years after the Cherokee removal stockades had been abandoned in 1838. Captain John G. Payne was the commander of the local garrison of soldiers in 1838. Fort Payne became an official name in 1869.
On May 5th, 1878, Fort Payne became the county seat of DeKalb County.
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