Documenting the American South

Monument Name

Georgia Blankenship, Cherokee

Type

Plaque

Marker

Subjects

Historic Women Figures

American Indian Monuments

Women Monuments

City

Cherokee

County

Swain

Description

The memorial to Georgia Blankenship is in the form of a bench constructed of varied sizes of flat stones and mortar. Inset into the benche's back is a rectangular finished slab of granite holding the inscription. A walkway running to one side features several Native American pictographs.

Images: Inscription | Close-up view of the memorial | Far-off view of the memorial | Walkway to the left of the memorial | The Museum of the Cherokee Indian

Inscription

IN MEMORY OF / GEORGIA BLANKENSHIP / (1918 – 1993) / FOR HER UNTIRING EFFORTS IN DONATING UNSELFISHLY / OF HER TIME AND TALENTS IN BEAUTIFYING THE GROUNDS / OF THE MUSEUM OF THE CHEROKEE INDIAN / “WHILE GOING DOWN LIFE’S WEARY ROAD / I’LL TRY TO LIFT SOME TRAVELER’S LOAD / I’LL TRY TO TURN THE NIGHT TO DAY, / MAKE FLOWERS BLOOM ALONG THE WAY.”

Custodian

Museum of the Cherokee Indian

Dedication Date

Circa 1995

Decade

1990s

Geographic Coordinates

35.484720 , -83.315870 View in Geobrowse

Supporting Sources

“Georgia Mae Goforth Blankenship,” Find A Grave, findagrave.com, (accessed August 3, 2023) Link

“The Museum of the Cherokee Indian,” Museum of the Cherokee Indian, (accessed April 21, 2023) Link

Public Site

Yes

Materials & Techniques

Granite, stone, mortar

Subject Notes

Blankenship, a Cherokee, created and helped tend to the landscaping at the Museum of the Cherokee Indian.

Location

The memorial is located near the entrance to the Museum of the Cherokee Indian, 589 Tsali Blvd. (US441 South) in Cherokee, NC. The Sequoyah “Whispering Giant” sculpture is located nearby, to left of the entrance to the museum.

Landscape

The landscape surrounding the Museum of the Cherokee Indian beautifully integrates into the surrounding landscapes. Trees and pants surround the memorial.