Aerial view of Trahlyta's Grave 2021

Drop a stone upon her grave and make a wish

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Photo above: An aerial view of “Trahlyta’s Grave,” known as Stone Pile Gap. The Georgia DOT in 2020 completed a roundabout around the stone pile.1

Ten miles north of Dahlonega, GA, at the intersection of US 19 and State Road 60, is a stone pile in a triangle where the roads cross, known as the Stone Pile Gap. “This pile of stones marks the grave of a Cherokee princess, Trahlyta,” reads the Georgia Historical Commission marker standing guard.

Trahlyta grave in 1933. "This pile of rocks covers the remains of the principal of the romantic legend," says the Atlanta Constitution caption accompanying the photo.
Trahlyta grave in 1933. “This pile of rocks covers the remains of the principal of the romantic legend,” says the Atlanta Constitution caption accompanying the photo.

“According to legend her tribe, living on Cedar Mountain north of here, knew the secret of the magic springs of eternal youth from the Witch of Cedar Mountain. Trahlyta, kidnapped by a rejected suitor, Wahsega, was taken far away and lost her beauty. As she was dying, Wahsega promised to bury her near her home and the magic springs. Custom arose among the Indians and later the Whites to drop stones, one for each passerby, on her grave for good fortune. The magic springs, now known as Porter Springs, lie 3/4 miles northeast of here.”

Twice the Georgia Department of Highways has attempted to move the grave during road construction. Both times at least one person died in an accident while moving the pile. Legend says that removing a stone from the pile will bring the curse of the Witch of Cedar Mountain upon the thief. The stone grave remains today in the same place it has always been.

The springs in question were (again!) discovered in 1868 by Joseph H. McKee, a Methodist preacher, on land then belonging to Basil S. Porter. McKee and William Tate, a Baptist preacher, tested the water (in their fashion) for minerals and advertised their findings. People came from miles around pitching tents or taking home gallons of water, and claimed cures of rheumatism, dyspepsia, dropsy and many other diseases, even leprosy.

Sources: “Inns and Inn Keepers of the Gold Fields of Lumpkin County, Georgia,” by Sylvia Gailey Head, Gold Rush Gallery, Inc., 2001
http://www.cherokeegold.net/stonepilegap.html

Trahlyta and Wahsega

More Cherokee folklore posts:

Jocassée. A Cherokee Legend from Upcountry South Carolina(Opens in a new browser tab)

How the strawberry came to the Cherokee people(Opens in a new browser tab)

The story of the Wampus Cat(Opens in a new browser tab)

  1. “It should be noted that the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) has permanently removed the ‘Trahlyta’s Grave’ historical marker which has been next to the stone pile since the 1950’s,” adds Chris Worick of the Lumpkin County Historical Society. “So now you have a roundabout built around a pile of rocks with no explanation as to the significance or meaning of why the rocks are there in the first place.”

14 comments

  1. Very interesting story, however, there were no such thing as a Cherokee Princess. She may have been the daughter of a chief, but they were not called, Princess.

  2. There is not or has never been such thing as “Cherokee Princess”

  3. Well, at least it’s not another “leaping Indians” story, e.g.: Maid-of-the-Mist,Sautee/Nacoochee, etc. I can’t located the quote from Vine Deloria Jr., the Lakota activist and writer, but something along the lines of “One can scarcely imagine that one could traverse this land without being struck by frustrated Indian lovers leaping to their deaths.”

  4. Cool story though! Disney made Pocahantas a princess, so why not Trahlyta!!!
    Fun sharing her name!!

  5. At Lynne & Akecheta, I always love how some people profess to know so much about an era they didn’t live in. If she was a Chief’s daughter, she was, in a way, a princess, especially if the Chief said she was.

  6. It should be noted that the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) has permanently removed the “Trahlyta’s Grave” historical marker which has been next to the stone pile since the 1950’s. So now you have a roundabout built around a pile of rocks with no explanation as to the significance or meaning of why the rocks are there in the first place.

  7. Put the marker back up that explains why it’s there. Native American History must be preserved.

  8. She originally lived near Sharp Mountain in Pickens County, Tis the reason why the sign was removed. There are several mounds on a steep hilltop between witch mountain and sharp mountain. The stone huts and rock structures of the little people still can be found near the true fountain of youth. This land is still protected by the creatures who roamed for the past 10,000 years. The Cherokee respected their structures along with leaving their territory alone. Even though some strayed and battles happened. From fighting sasquatch’s, dogman, mothman, and many other beings. This is all documented and we are to believe they are only legends.

  9. I am a true Dahlonega Nugget and the marker has been there my entire life (72 years). Why did it have to he moved? Please return the marker to her grave. It served as her headstone and a marker for the Indian history. I can’t begin to tell how many rocks I have placed on the pile.

  10. The entire story was complete fiction. It does NOT “preserve native history”. There were NEVER “Cherokee princesses”. At all. That ridiculous story was concocted to encourage foolish tourists to stop there and , of all things, throw a Rock on an alleged grave?? The Eastern Band fought for Decades to have that lie removed. As a documented Cherokee Descendant in the Eastern Band, we are , immensely, glad that mess is gone!

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