Tucked in between office buildings and shopping malls lies an important bit of Mission history and presence along South Chickamauga Creek. Brainerd Mission was established in 1817 by Cyrus Kingsbury, working on behalf of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM). It was intended to provide general English language education to Cherokee children while instilling Christian religious values.
President James Monroe visited the Mission in May 1819, the first Presidential visit to Hamilton County TN. The Mission officially closed October 2, 1838.
At one point, the Mission held over 40 acres of land, much of which was used for farming. Today only the cemetary remains. This site is on the National Register of Historic Sites and an official stop on the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail.
There are two entrances to the cemetary, which contains over 50 graves and numerous historic plaques. The cemetary is open to the public most days from 9AM-6PM, however the information needed to log this virtual is available anytime and visible even when gates are locked.
To log this virtual cache, please send us answers to the following questions:
1. What Bible verse is on a bronze plaque by the gate at posted coordinates?
2. When was this site preserved by the John Ross chapter of the Daughters of American Revolution? (Month, day and year)
Virtual Rewards 4.0 - 2024-2025
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between January 17, 2024 and January 17, 2025. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 4.0 on the Geocaching Blog.