Great Tellico facts for kids
Great Tellico was a very important town for the Cherokee people long ago. It was located where Tellico Plains, Tennessee is today, right where the Tellico River comes out of the Appalachian Mountains. Great Tellico was one of the biggest Cherokee towns in that area. It even had a nearby sister town called Chatuga.
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What Was Great Tellico?
Great Tellico was a large and powerful Cherokee town. Its name in the Cherokee language is more correctly written as Talikwa. However, it was also known as Diligwa. You might see it spelled in other ways too, like Telliquo or Telliquah. In Oklahoma, a town called Tahlequah shares a similar name.
The Meaning of "Talikwa"
For a long time, people thought the meaning of the word "Talikwa" was lost. But a reporter from the Cherokee Phoenix newspaper, Tesina Jackson, found its meaning. It means "the open place where the grass grows." This name helps us imagine what the area might have looked like.
Important Paths and Trade Routes
Great Tellico was a very important place because of the paths that ran through it. These paths were like ancient highways.
The Warrior Path
One of these paths was called the Warrior Path. This was a branch of an even bigger path called the Great Indian Warpath. The Warrior Path connected Great Tellico to other important Cherokee towns. To the north, it led to Chota, and to the south, it went to Great Hiwassee.
The Trading Path
Another very important route was the Wachesa Trail. This path was also known as "The Trading Path." Later, it was called the Unicoi Turnpike. This path went southeast from Great Tellico, crossing the Unicoi Mountains in the Appalachian Mountains. It connected the Overhill Cherokee (who lived in the mountains) with other Cherokee towns in Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.
The Trading Path became the main way that the British and the Cherokee people traded goods during the 1700s. This shows how important Great Tellico was for trade and travel.
Great Tellico's Role as a Capital
In the early 1700s, Great Tellico was like the main capital for the Overhill Cherokee. This meant it was a very important center for their government and decisions.
Famous Leaders from Tellico
Many important Cherokee leaders came from Great Tellico. One famous leader was Moytoy of Tellico. He was a powerful figure who helped lead the Cherokee people.
The Decline of Great Tellico
After Moytoy of Tellico passed away in 1741, Great Tellico started to become less important. By the 1750s, another town called Chota became the main capital of the Overhill Cherokee. Even though Great Tellico's time as the capital ended, it remained an important part of Cherokee history.
