Group photo on grounds of the Government Indian School, Cherokee, NC

Description

A group of boys and one adult are standing on the grounds of the Government Indian School on the Qualla Boundary. The school began as a boarding and day school in 1884 and was operated by the Society of Friends (Quakers) until 1896 when it came under the direct supervision of the federal government. It changed from a boarding to a day school in 1954. The photograph was taken by “Doc” Kelly Bennett (1890-1974), a prominent pharmacist in Swain County, NC. Owner of the Bryson City Drug Company, Bennett served as alderman and mayor of Bryson City, on the Swain County Board of Education, as well as several terms as NC State Senator and NC State Representative. He participated in numerous other initiatives and organizations. Known as the “Apostle of the Smokies,” Bennett was an instrumental figure in the movement to create the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. He was also an avid photographer, skillfully documenting a wide variety of people, places, and events in Swain County and the surrounding area.
Details
- Creator
  - Bennett, Kelly, 1890-1974
- Format
  - Negatives (photographs)
  - Portraits
- Type
  - StillImage
- Date
  - Date digitized: 2021-05-21
- Extent
  - Dimension: 3.5" x 5.75"
- Subject - Topic
- Location
  - Qualla Boundary
- Source institution
  - Western Carolina University
- Source Collection
  - Kelly Bennett Collection
- Identifier
  - HL_MSS21-02_05_neg_0202
- Repository
  - Western Carolina University Hunter Library

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