Title	Major Ridge Home: commemorative plaque
Creator(s)	West, Carroll Van
Date	c. 2011
Coverage	2010-2019
Property name	Major Ridge Home
Additional property name	Chieftains Museum
Property type	House
National Register Reference	71000273 Listed April 7, 1971
Community Name	Rome, Floyd County, GA
Latitude/Longitude	34.270289,-85.169419
Description	Color photograph of a metal plaque in ground reading "Major Ridge: Principal chief of the Cherokee Tribe of Indians. Moved to this spot about 1794 and built this dwelling. Modernized by later owners. His ferry & trading post made this farm a tribal center. Here was negotiated final treaty for the Cherokee removal. 1833-1838; W.P.A 1936"
Historical Notes	Major Ridge was an important Cherokee leader who is most remembered as a signer of the Treaty of New Echota that sold Cherokee land to the U. S. Government in exchange for land in Oklahoma, leading to the removal of most Cherokee from Georgia via the Trail of Tears. Originally from the Hiwassee River area of Tennessee, Ridge moved his family to a site along the Oostanaula River, where he operated a ferry, trading post and farm. The original dogtrot cabin built by Major Ridge circa 1800 is incorporated in the modern Major Ridge Home. Conversion of the cabin to a clapboard plantation home was done by Ridge, with significant modernization done since. The house is now part of the Chieftains Museum.
Collection Name	Trail of Tears
Subject-LCSH	Ridge, Major, ca. 1771-1839 -- Homes and haunts Cherokee Indians -- Relocation
Type	Still image
Format	jpeg2000
Genre	Photograph
Extent	Electronic
Copyright status	Copyright of the creator. Reproduced with permission
Conditions for use	Credit Center for Historic Preservation, Middle Tennessee State University Reproduction permitted for non-profit educational and research purposes only
Digital Publisher	Digital Initiatives, James E. Walker Library, Middle Tennessee State University
Contributing Institution	Center for Historic Preservation, Middle Tennessee State University
Source file	IMG_0431