“Old Settler Capital at Tahlonteeskee” Exhibit Opens Aug. 2

In 1839, Tahlequah became the official capital of Cherokee Nation, but it wasn’t the first Cherokee capital in Indian Territory. 

A new exhibit at Sequoyah’s Cabin Museum is sharing more about the oldest governmental capital in Oklahoma, Tahlonteeskee. 

Located 3 miles north of present-day Gore, Tahlonteeskee served as the Old Settler capital of Cherokee Nation in Indian Territory from 1828 – 1839. It was named after a former chief of the Western Cherokees, who was part of the Old Settlers who moved from ancestral lands in the southeast prior to the Trail of Tears. 

The exhibit provides a closer look at the capital site, including its creation, boundaries, laws and significant gatherings that took place there. 

The “Old Settler Capital at Tahlonteeskee” exhibit is on display Aug. 2 – Jan. 31, 2020. 

Sequoyah’s Cabin Museum is located at Highway 101, 7 miles east of Highway 59 in Sallisaw. It is open Tuesday – Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The museum features the original log cabin constructed by Sequoyah in 1829 and welcomes more than 12,000 visitors each year. It was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1966 and a National Literary Landmark in 2006. The homestead includes a one-room cabin and nearly 200 acres. The museum also features large displays that share the story of Sequoyah, his development of the Cherokee syllabary and the Cherokee language today. Additional displays showcase the history of the Cherokee Old Settlers, Cherokee Nation post-removal and the Cherokee Nation today.

For information on Cherokee Nation Cultural Tourism, including museum operations, please call (877) 779-6977 or visit www.VisitCherokeeNation.com.

KXMX News Staff

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