Last updated: October 13, 2023
Place
Fort Buffington - Trail of Tears
NPS Photo
Quick Facts
Location:
4589 Cumming Hwy, Canton, GA 30115
Significance:
Fort Buffington was one of about 25 stockades in the Cherokee Indian Nation used by Federal and State troops during the Cherokee Removal in 1838.
MANAGED BY:
Although none of the original Fort Buffington structures remain intact today, you can visit the sites. Historical markers provide a brief overview of the fort’s history in connection with the Trail of Tears.
One-half mile north is the site of Fort Buffington, built in the 1830’s by local militia. It was one of about 25 stockades in the Cherokee Indian Nation used by Federal and State troops during the Cherokee Removal in 1838. In May and June, 1838, 7,000 soldiers forced over 15,000 Cherokee Indians from their homes and held them in the stockades until removal west could take place. Many Indians from the local area were held at Fort Buffington. As many as 4,000 Cherokees may have died while in the stockades and on the 800 mile journey west. Their ordeal has become known as the “Trail of Tears.”
Site Information
Location (4589 Cumming Hwy, Canton, GA 30115) The marker in next to Cumming Hwy close to the closed Buffington Elementary School
Safety Considerations