Dwight Presbyterian Mission, Presbyterian mission site near Marble City, Oklahoma, United States.
Dwight Presbyterian Mission is a historic mission site in Oklahoma with multiple buildings that once served as a center for education and religious services for Cherokee communities. The structures stand on grounds near Sallisaw Creek and housed classrooms, residential quarters, and worship spaces.
The mission was founded in 1820 near Russellville, Arkansas and moved to Oklahoma in 1829 after the Cherokee were displaced by new treaties. This relocation reflected the forced movement of Native Americans to western lands during that era.
The printing press that operated here from 1837 produced written materials in the Cherokee language, helping community members develop reading and writing skills in their own tongue.
The grounds lie between Marble City and Sallisaw, Oklahoma, on Sallisaw Creek, and are used as a Presbyterian camp, retreat and conference center. The Dwight Mission Cemetery holds a memorial to the thirteen boys who died in the 1918 dormitory fire. Groups book the facilities in advance; individual visitors should confirm access before driving out.
The dormitory fire of January 12, 1918 killed thirteen boys aged 9 to 17, trapped on a screened porch; they were Cherokee, Creek, Choctaw and Omaha students. Their bodies were sent back to their home towns, and a memorial to them stands in the Dwight Mission Cemetery.
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