DAILLY POST-ATHENIAN/Sesqui-Centennial Edition, June 10, 1969, p. 14-H.

Education in McMinn County, by Mrs. Harold Powers. 

Edited by Bill Bigham.

"McMinn County once belonged to the Cherokee Indians. Along the 

Hiwassee River and the Unaka Mountains were the Cherokee 

strongholds. It was along the Hiwassee at what is now known as 

Calhoun and in the Unaka range along the Conasauga Creek, that 

two Indian mission schools were located in McMinn County. 

It is thought that the Indian schools were probably the 

first of any type in this area.

There is little known of the Conasauga Mission except that 

it was established by the Methodists." [THE CANE CREEK CAMPGROUND 

CAME INTO BEING LATER IN THE SAME AREA BY THE METHODISTS. 

AN EARLY MAP IN McMINN HIST. SOC. ROOM SHOWS "BARN'S

RESERVATION" LOCATED ABOVE THE FORK OF CAIN CREEK AND THE 

HIWASSEE RIVER. ALSO IN CALHOUN, THERE IS AN I. WALTER'S AND 

AN S. WALTER'S RESERVATION ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE RAILROAD. 

(THIS PROBABLY SHOULD BE WALKER'S NOT WALTER'S.) 

DOWN RIVER A MILE THE MAP SHOWS THE T.W. ROSS RESERVATION. 

ALL ARE ON THE PRESENT McMINN SIDE. HOWEVER, CHEROKEE CHILDREN 

FROM ACROSS THE HIWASSEE (WALKER VALLEY) PROBABLY ATTENDED 

THE WALKER'S FERRY MISSION AS WELL.] 

"Col. Return J. Meigs (1740-1823) was the Indian Agent 

to the Cherokees for many years. He was a great friend to the 

Cherokees and helped get the first mission schools established. 

Later, Col. Meigs' grandson was an outstanding lawyer in McMinn 

County and served on the Board of Trustees for Forest Hill Academy 

in Athens. 

In 1806, George Barbee Davis left the home of John Rogers 

at Rogers Creek where he had been a tutor and took charge of an 

Indian school at Walker's Ferry. On September 6, 1806 he wrote

Col. Meigs the following letter:

Walkers Ferry

September 6, 1806

Dear Sir:

I have little leisure time and I take the liberty of writing you 

a few lines. I am very well at present and my scholars also, 

which are about forty in number. Their progress for the time I 

have been with them, I think is very great. I expect after the 

great talk at Willstown, that we will have nearly forty more. 

Mr. George Fields and Mr. Woodward will bring up 10 or 12. 

I have my hands full at present but I expect they will be more 

so when I get the school full. Mr. Black talks of leaving the 

school for which I am very sorry, he is a good man with children, 

and such another cannot be gotten easily. It will be impossible 

for me to attend the whole school where there is so many 

egphering and writing.

The house we now keep school in is a very bad one and we 

must have another one before cold weather, which is advancing 

fast. We wrote to Mr. Blackburn yesterday and sent him enclosed 

some of the children's writings. I sent him a list of the state 

of learning they were in when they came to me and their progress 

since. I have written for Mr. Blackburn to come down as soon as 

he can make it convenient as I am afraid the business of the 

houses will not go on until he returns.

I shall always be happy to hear from you. I hope my old friend 

Sam Riley will send his children and Coodys children are well 

taken care of here. Please give my respects to your good lady 

and son. 

I am your Most Obedient Servant

George Barbee Davis

The Mr. Blackburn mentioned in this letter was the Reverend

Geldeon Blackburn from Maryville, (TN.) He was a Presbyterian 

minister who became a missionary to the Cherokees. It was through 

his influence that these first schools for the Indians were 

established. 

The first teacher to the Indian School at Walker's Ferry 

was Jonothan Black. It seems that Colonel Meigs had used his 

influence to get government aid for the schools. Mr. Black wrote

the following letter to Mr. Meigs:

Walkers Ferry

February 23, 1804

Dear Sir: 

I must inform you that I have commenced school. I have fifteen 

scholars, their behavior surpassed my expectation. Mr. Blackburn

informs me that you would furnish with some corn, it will be very 

sorely wanting. Also that he has written you to send me one 

large Bakeoven by Mr. Smith, an article that is much wanted 

at present, he requests me to apply to you for some things for 

the use of the school. Knives and forks are wanting and spoons. 

I have received two dozen tin cups, two dozen plates, one piece 

of stroud, one piece of lendsey, one piece of calico, they expect 

shirts and hats--I have purchased one small beef-- the children 

eat very hearty and meat will soon be wanting. 

I am yours with respect,

J. Black

In another letter written on November 4, 1804, Henry Dearborn, 

then Secretary of War, wrote to Colonel Meigs giving him 

instructions about giving money to the Indian schools. 

The following is taken from the letter:

'If you are fully convinced of the utility of the school 

established by Mr. Blackburn among the Cherokees and of faithful

applications of these funds you may continue to afford him with 

the aid of 300 or 400 dollars per annum.'

From all indications the Indians seemed to approve of 

the white man's education, but they did not want the white man's 

religion. The chiefs of the tribes wanted their sons and 

daughters to learn how to read and write as it was a mark of 

distinction to be able to speak both Cherokee and English.

In these schools the Indians were taught how to read 

and write English and to work simple arithmetic. In addition, 

the boys were taught how to farm and raise crops while the girls 

were taught spinning, sewing and cooking.

These schools were in existence until the war of 1812. 

At that time they were closed. After the war some of the schools 

were again opened, but the ones in McMinn County were closed 

forever." 

End of Mrs. Powers' article.

Some footnotes: In article #3 in the McMinn Heritage Book, mention

is given to the attendance of some Cherokee children attending 

Forest Hill in Athens which was established in 1826. 

Although the Cherokee had taken up the white man's ways to

the fullest, the political pressure in Washington (esp. president

Jackson) and the settler's intense desire for unencumbered use of 

the land overshadowed the myth that they could continue living 

along with the white man. All this culminating in the infamous 

year of 1838 when the Cherokees' worst nightmare came true, 

that of being forced to relocate in reservations across the 

Mississippi River.

See article #83: "Gen. Wool's Dilemma With Cherokee

Removal" in the McMinn Co. Heritage Book.

See page 23 of "Settlers and Intruders on Cherokee Lands 

1801-1816" on the McMinn Co TN web page which lists Col. Meigs' 

activities involving the Cherokee Agency. Here it states George 

Barber Davis is given permission to pass into the Cherokee Nation 

to a John McDonalds on Oct 21, 1801 and return Christmas of the 

same year. This could be the George Barbee Davis in Mrs. Power's 

article above who later went to John Rogers' home as tutor in 1806. 

It is yet to be determined if both Rogers and McDonald 

had Cherokee blood somewhere in their families, assuming they 

were inside the Cherokee Nation's Boundary. It was part of Col. 

Meigs' job to give passes for all passing through or visiting 

the Cherokee Nation. At times he had command of a small 

attachment to enforce encroachment of settlers as well as 

settling any conflicts ie., stray or stolen horses, fights, 

and apprehending whites accused of killing Cherokees.

See the article on "Cherokee Agency" in the Bradley Co.

Heritage Book. 

Comments may be directed to BillBigham@juno.com