Last updated: May 22, 2026
Place
John Ross Farm
Bneau2013, CC BY-SA, resized (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:John_ross_marker_flint_springs.jpg)
Quick Facts
Location:
Intersection of Red Hill Valley Road SE and Flintsprings Road SE in Cleveland, Tennessee.
Significance:
The last homeplace of Principal Chief John Ross east of the Mississippi River, where he and his family lived until their removal to present-day Oklahoma. Author and poet John Howard Payne was a guest at the house when he was arrested with Ross and taken to Spring Place, Georgia.
Designation:
Historic site on the Trail of Tears NHT.
MANAGED BY:
Tennessee Historical Commission
Amenities
1 listed
Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits
A metal Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) marker stands at the last homeplace of Principal Chief John Ross east of the Mississippi River. This place was a large farm with more than 200 fruit trees located in the Flint Springs Community. Ross and his family lived here until their removal to present-day Oklahoma. The farm is only four miles from the Red Clay Council Grounds and less than a half mile from where the Red Clay Mission was located.
Author and poet John Howard Payne, who penned the 1822 song “Home Sweet Home (“be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home”), was a guest on the Ross farm. During his November 1835 stay, Payne was arrested with Ross and taken, along with papers from the Cherokee Nation, to Spring Place, Georgia.
Safety Considerations
Author and poet John Howard Payne, who penned the 1822 song “Home Sweet Home (“be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home”), was a guest on the Ross farm. During his November 1835 stay, Payne was arrested with Ross and taken, along with papers from the Cherokee Nation, to Spring Place, Georgia.
Flint Springs Community
Located near Red Clay Council Grounds and Red Clay Mission site, the Flint Springs Community was a woven tapestry of Cherokee farms and families including the John Ross Farm. Red Hill Valley Road makes a large loop around the community intersecting Dalton Pike (Hwy 60) twice. Many structures in this area date before the Cherokee removal, including the former home of Cherokee Judge John Martin. The Martin House was moved across Dalton Pike in the 1950s and now sits as a private residence directly on Dalton Pike.Site Information
Location (Intersection of Red Hill Valley Road SE and Flintsprings Road SE in Cleveland, Tennessee.)Safety Considerations