Chieftains Museum/Major Ridge Home

Chieftains Museum/Major Ridge Home, 501 Riverside Pkwy., is the early 19th-century home of Cherokee leader Major Ridge, who struggled to maintain his Native American heritage while adapting to the white man's culture. Ridge is best known for his leadership of the Treaty Party in the years preceding the Cherokee removal from their homeland. Ridge was killed in 1839 by Cherokee who felt betrayed by the Treaty Party. The original early 19th-century log cabin remains at the center of this gracious mansion. On display is A Witness to History, an exhibit that documents the history of the house.