Tim, According to "The History of the Cherokee" by Emmett Starr, and the archaelogists at the Shawnee National Forest, there was a large band of Cherokee that left the East prior to the removal. There was an abandoned fort in Southern Illinois that was home to this band as they were discovered by an explorer whose name escapes me right now, pre- Lewis and Clark in the mid 1700's. These Cherokee were obviously not originally from this area, I never guess that would be an assumption. This band dispersed and assimilated after an earthquake in that area I have become acquainted with a few researchers that have found stories like mine of family either living in that area or going to that area for some tribal activity into the late 1800's and early 1900's. The surnames that are associated with my family are Burnett, West and Winningham. I would be very interested in trying to find a connection with any Wests that you have that were known to have married Cherokee. My West line is: John West(b. 1705 d. 1800 SC) Issac West(b. 1745 d. 1814 Ill) m. Susannah Anderson(b. 1752 d. 1810 TN) Abner West(b. 1784 SC d. abt 1833 Missouri) m. Sarah Laffoon(1780-1855) Thomas W. West(d. 1876) m. Barbara A. Rothwell(1826-1903) Margaret West(b. abt 1853 d. abt 1884) m. James Burnett(b. 1846 d. abt 1907) Thanks to everyone for all the responses!! Barbara