Historical Marker Program

Cephas Washburn

Sequoyah County
Location: on grounds of Dwight Mission site, approximately three miles southwest of Marble City
Coordinates: 35.551400, -94.845900
Material: Granite
Sponsor(s): Dwight Mission Board of Directors and the Oklahoma Historical Society
Topics: American Indians; Education; Religion/Philosophy; Westward Expansion, 1803–1861

Dwight Mission was founded by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions as a school for Cherokees. Originally located in Arkansas, Reverend Cephas Washburn reestablished the mission in Indian Territory in 1829. For four decades, Washburn provided educational leadership among the Cherokees.