Near Fort Payne in DeKalb County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)

Indians, Settlers, and Tourists

Little River Canyon National Preserve

— National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior —

Indians, Settlers, and Tourists Marker image. Click for full size.

Courtesy of Thomas P. Martin, March 16, 2017

1. Indians, Settlers, and Tourists Marker

Inscription. Little River Canyon has been attracting humans for over 10,000 years. Ancestors of the American Indians came here to hunt, gather fruits and nuts, and create temporary settlements. In 1540 Hernando DeSoto and his army of Spanish soldiers passed through and wrote about the long mountain with waterfalls. Over time settlers migrated to the area to farm. In 1838 the federal government forced the Cherokee and Creek Indians from their homeland. As communities near the canyon developed in the late 1800s, tourists came to explore the canyon, known as May's Gulf. In the 1930s the Civilian Conservation Corps built DeSoto State Park, which is now a part of Little River Canyon National Preserve.

[Captions]
• (Left) Area residents enjoy outings at the canyon in the early 1900s.
• (Right) William Chelsey Hill had a mill at Little River Falls in the early 1900s.
Photos used by permission of Landmarks of DeKalb and John E. Hill.

Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Charity & Public Work • Indigenous Peoples and Communities

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• Settlements & Settlers • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1540.

Location. 34° 23.728′ N, 85° 37.565′ W. Marker is near Fort Payne, Alabama, in DeKalb County. It can be reached from Little River Falls Overlook Trail 0.1 miles west of State Road 35. Located in the Little River Canyon Falls Park parking lot within the Little River Canyon National Preserve. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Gaylesville AL 35973, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in North Alabama.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Deep South,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the original Cherokee Nation,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 7 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Trail of Tears – 1838 (here, next

Indians, Settlers, and Tourists Marker on right. image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, May 5, 2022

2. Indians, Settlers, and Tourists Marker on right.

to this marker); W.P. Brown & Sons Lumber Company (approx. 2.4 miles away); Arthur "Tarzan" White (approx. 2.8 miles away); History of Taff, Alabama (approx. 3.8 miles away); David Hartline (approx. 3.8 miles away); Cherokee Indian Removal (approx. 6.3 miles away); Sequoyah | Socks | Song | Scenery (approx. 6.3 miles away); Confederate Monument (approx. 6.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Fort Payne.

Another marker is no longer nearby. Boom Town Historic District (was approx. 6.3 miles away but has been confirmed missing).

Credits. This page was last revised on November 19, 2024. It was originally submitted on April 29, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 1,152 times since then and 64 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on April 29, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 2. submitted on May 9, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.