Site Of Carmel (Taloney) Mission Station

Just west of here in 1819 the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions established a mission station to the Cherokee Indians. Moody Hall and Henry Parker were the first missionaries sent to Carmel (originally known as Taloney), March 12, 1831. Rev. Isaac Proctor, then residing here, was arrested by the Georgia Guard for not complying with the new state law requiring all white men residing on Cherokee land now claimed by Georgia, to apply for licenses to remain and take an oath of allegiance to the State. Many of the missionaries abstained, feeling that Georgia had no power to enforce her laws over land rightfully belonging to the Cherokees. Rev. Daniel S. Butrick, also a missionary at Carmel, away at the time, escaped arrest. Rev. Proctor and the other missionaries which were arrested were released very shortly on grounds that they were agents of the U.S. Government in the educating of the Cherokees. Soon afterwards the issue again became critical and, rather than take the oath of allegiance, Butrick and Proctor left Georgia. Rev. Proctor remained in that portion of the Cherokee Nation now Tennessee and started a new mission. Carmel continued in existence until 1839.