14 Flags Museum - Sallisaw, Oklahoma

Some of the most fascinating historic places in the South are the small locally-operated museums that dot the landscape. Among these is the 14 Flags Museum in Sallisaw, Oklahoma.

Located at the intersection of U.S. Highways 59 and 65 in downtown Sallisaw, the outdoor museum features a fascinating collection of historic structures. Among these are log cabins that date to the earliest days of Cherokee settlement in eastern Oklahoma before and immediately following the Trail of Tears.

The Lattimore cabin, shown here, is an outstanding example. Thought to have been built in around 1835 by Samuel Lattimore, an early Cherokee settler. The logs were felled and squared by hand and still bear the marks of the axes and adzes used by builder. A loophole in the east wall is a reminder of the turbulent days that the Cherokee settlers experienced after arriving in their new homes. Not only did they sometimes battle with Indian tribes already living in the area, but they also lived through the brutal days of the Civil War in the Indian Nations and the outlaw years that followed.

Other structures at the museum include the Judge Faulkner cabin which was built in the 1840s and occupied at various times by both Union and Confederate troops during the War Between the States; the old Sallisaw Train Depot; a log cabin containing a Trail of Tears exhibit and more.

To learn more about the 14 Flags Museum, which receives its name from the 14 identifiable tribes and nations that occupied this part of Oklahoma, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/sallisawmuseum.

Sequoyah's Cabin - Sallisaw, Oklahoma

I've devoted some attention over the last couple of days to the remarkable story of Sequoyah, one of the greatest scholars of the 19th century. Sequoyah, as we've discussed, was the man who invented the Cherokee Alphabet, the only written language ever developed by a Native American tribe.

If you are interested in learning more about the real life of this phenomenal man, one of the best places to do so is at Sequoyah's Cabin, a truly beautiful historic site just north of Sallisaw, Oklahoma.

Maintained by the Oklahoma Historical Society, the site preserves the little log cabin where Sequoyah spent the last two decades of his life. In addition, on the grounds are the iron kettle that he once used to make salt, a stone-walled well that he built, a very nice statue and a visitor center built from logs cut and dressed in part by Sequoyah himself.

The cabin itself is beautifully restored and is housed inside a memorial building built during the Great Depression.

To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/sequoyah1.