As a young man Sam Houston lived with the Cherokee on Chief John Jolly’s (Hiwassee} Island across from the park in the mouth of the Hiwassee River. The Cherokee named him the “The Raven”. Later he made a favorable impression on General Andrew Jackson and became one of his officers. He showed great bravery in the Battle of Horseshoe Bend when General Jackson defeated the Creeks with the help of the Cherokee. Houston became a lawyer, was elected to Congress and became Governor of Tennessee. While he was a close associate of Andrew Jackson he did not share Jackson’s attitude towards Indians. After he mysteriously resigned as Governor he went to live with Chief Jolly in Arkansas. There he ran a trading post and married Tiana Rogers, who he met when he lived on Jolly’s Island. From there he went to Texas and commanded the army that won Texas independence from Mexico. He became the President of the Republic of Texas and served Texas as it’s Governor and Senator after Texas joined the United States.