Last updated: June 11, 2026
Place
Reverend Jesse Bushyhead Home Site
Photo by Harrison Keely, CC BY (https://w.wiki/H$sk)
Quick Facts
Location:
The area surrounding the current location of Cleveland High School, Raider Drive, Cleveland, Tennessee.
Significance:
Reverend Jesse Bushyhead was a highly respected religious and political leader among the Cherokee. After leading a detachment of Cherokee west on the Trail of Tears, he established a Baptist mission near Westville, Oklahoma and became Chief Justice of the Cherokee Nation.
Designation:
Historic site on the Trail of Tears NHT.
OPEN TO PUBLIC:
No
MANAGED BY:
Cleveland City Schools
Amenities
1 listed
Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits
In the area surrounding the current location of Cleveland High School, Rev. Jesse Bushyhead and his family lived on a large farm in what was known as the Mouse Creek community. He was a highly respected religious and political leader among the Cherokee. He was a student at the Candy Creek Mission and an ordained Baptist minister. After leading a detachment of Cherokee west on the Trail of Tears, he established a Baptist mission near Westville, Oklahoma and became Chief Justice of the Cherokee Nation.
Bushyhead had several siblings. Among them, his sister Nancy, or “Nannie,” was married to Jack Walker. Another sister, Susan, served as a school governess at the Red Clay Mission. Bushyhead had two children by his first wife and nine by his second wife, Eliza Wilkinson. The Bushyhead children became leaders in the West. His oldest son, Dennis, became Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, 1879-1887. Another son, Edward “Ned” Bushyhead followed the gold rush to California as a newspaper man. He started the first daily newspaper in San Diego and became the 12th sheriff of San Diego County.
Safety Considerations
Bushyhead had several siblings. Among them, his sister Nancy, or “Nannie,” was married to Jack Walker. Another sister, Susan, served as a school governess at the Red Clay Mission. Bushyhead had two children by his first wife and nine by his second wife, Eliza Wilkinson. The Bushyhead children became leaders in the West. His oldest son, Dennis, became Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, 1879-1887. Another son, Edward “Ned” Bushyhead followed the gold rush to California as a newspaper man. He started the first daily newspaper in San Diego and became the 12th sheriff of San Diego County.
Site Information
Location (The area surrounding the current location of Cleveland High School, Raider Drive, Cleveland, Tennessee.)Safety Considerations