I was not at the print shop for very long on any of my three visits.  It always seemed that I was running out of time when I would get to stops eight and nine. Sequoyah was pictured and mentioned in the museum page, and there is more about him, the syllabary, and newspaper in the brochure text page.  If you have not already read it, here is a link to the CNC brochure information about him and the Cherokee Phoenix newspaper.  

Click here to read the CNC Brochure Text about the syllabary and newspaper

The text from the SGT brochure/map tells us this;  "The Cherokees became the first American Indian tribe with a written language thanks to the genius and hard work of Sequoyah.  The Cherokee government constructed a Printing Office at New Echota in 1827.  This structure is a reconstruction of the original building. Under the leadership of editors Elias Boudinot and later Elijah Hicks, along with two printers, the world's first Indian language newspaper, the CHEROK£E PHOENIX, was published weekly at New Echota from 1828 - 1834.  Thousands of books were also translated into Cherokee and published at New Echota.  The Georgia militia confiscated the Cherokee printing press in 1835 and carried it from New Echota.  The press on display is a c.1870 model similar in design to the original Cherokee press.  During 1954 archaeological excavations, about 1,700 pieces of lead printing type were uncovered." 

The sign out front rewords it a little differently but tells us the same thing.  "This building is a reconstruction of the original Cherokee printing office built on or near this site in 1827. The world's first Indian language newspaper, the CHEROKEE PHOENIX, was printed at New Echota from 1828-1834. Thousands of books were also translated into Cherokee and printed at New Echota. The printing press is a c.1870 press similar to the original Cherokee press. During archaeological excavations in 1954, almost 2,000 pieces of lead printing type were uncovered at New Echota." 

The shortness of this page should in no way give the impression this was not an important thing.  I simply never had much time left to spend there, limiting the photos I took.  The newspaper was printed in both Cherokee and English.  It was a major accomplishment, and an important tool for disseminating information.  You can read some quotes in the museum page.  It was influential enough to cause tension in internal politics, and also be removed early on by Georgia. 

"Proceed down the street to the Boudinot House site."