About the Goingsnake District Heritage Association
The name of the Goingsnake District Heritage Association honors the former Going Snake District, one of the original eight districts of the western Cherokee Nation. The 1839 Cherokee Constitution and legislation of 1840 divided the nation into eight districts for governance and elections. The districts included the following: Going Snake, Skin Bayou (later renamed Sequoyah District), Illinois, Flint, Saline, Tahlequah, Delaware, and Canadian. A ninth district, Cooweescoowee, was added later in 1856.
The Going Snake District comprised what is now the northern half of Adair County, Oklahoma, and a portion of southern Delaware County, Oklahoma. The original district boundaries were described as follows:
Commencing on Caney Creek at Fawn’s Camp on the right, and following the path leading to Thos. F. Taylor’s until the same forks on the mountain; thence along the right hand old path (leaving said Taylor’s to the left) to Dick Sanders’ on the barren Fork; thence along the road to James M’Daniel’s on Big Illinois; thence along the road or path leading to the Grand Saline, to Spring Creek; thence up said Creek to the crossing of the Washington County wagon road, at Gore’s old cabin, following said road to Flint Creek, then up said creek to the State line; thence south along said line to the Flint District, and along the same to the place of beginning. First Precinct at Hair Conrad’s: Hair Conrad and Samuel Foreman, superintendents. Second Precinct at Rising Fawn’s (in Piney Woods): George Starr, Jon Harnage, superintendents.