Cemeteries in Cherokee County (County)

Cherokee County, located in northwestern Georgia, was established in 1831 following the forced cession of Cherokee Nation lands under the Treaty of New Echota.

The area was once part of the Cherokee homeland and included the capital of the Cherokee Nation at New Echota before the U.S. government carried out Indian Removal policies. Following the displacement of the Cherokee people along the Trail of Tears, the county was opened to European-American settlers, primarily of Scots-Irish and English descent. Early communities centered around farming and gold mining, with Baptist and Methodist churches forming the core of religious life. Originally larger, the county was gradually divided into several smaller counties as settlement expanded. Cherokee County remained rural until the late 20th century, when suburban growth from metropolitan Atlanta transformed its economy and population.

Historic cemeteries such as Hightower Baptist and Bascomb Methodist preserve the memory of early settlers and reflect the county’s frontier origins.