Willstown Mission Cemetery in Fort Payne, Alabama is a historic Native American and pioneer cemetery that marks the site of the Wills Town Mission. Established in 1823, the mission aimed to bring education and Christianity to the Cherokee Indians. The cemetery, which is all that remains of the historic Cherokee town and mission, features natural stones and cedar trees marking the Cherokee grave sites, as well as headstones designating the sites of white burials.
Located a little over three miles northeast of downtown Fort Payne, the cemetery holds the grave of Rev. Ard Hoyt, the early missionary to the Cherokee, along with many Cherokee people he served. The mission operated until 1838 when the Cherokee were forced to relocate to Oklahoma, and the cemetery continued to be used as a burial ground by later settlers. Today, the cemetery stands as a testament to the history and cultural significance of the Cherokee people in the area.
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