All roads may not lead to Rome, Ga., but a path important to Cherokee history began in that vicinity and ended in this area.

During the 1830s, some Cherokees left their homes in Georgia and surrounding states to begin a new life in Indian Territory, while others were forcibly removed from the land they had occupied for lifetimes.

The two most prominent Cherokee leaders of the period, John Ross and Major Ridge, first worked as allies to institute the Cherokee constitution and government, then split over whether to move westward. The Trail of Tears symbolizes perhaps the greatest tragedy in recorded Cherokee history.

Today, Tahlequah, which lies at the end of the Trail of Tears, may become a sister city with Rome, a leading community at its beginning. While the two city councils have taken no official action to become sister cites, people in both communities have expressed support for the idea.

The idea began circulating about a month ago.

“It was an interesting contact, and I’m excited about the possibilities,” Tahlequah Mayor Ken Purdy said. “There’s a strong interest on both ends, and we are openly interest in exploring the possibility.”

The sister city concept would increase the emphasis on the importance of that period in history, and its effect on people at both ends of the trail. People answering surveys by the Oklahoma Department of Tourism and Recreation have expressed the most interest in the state’s western and Native American heritage.

And many Georgians are not aware of the extent of Cherokee contributions to their area.

“You look at the names of the Indians who have a common history in both areas,” Purdy said. “They [Rome] were, in essence, the entry point to the Trail of Tears, and we were the terminus, or one of them. Heritage tourism continues to be a major factor.”

Purdy hasn’t yet visited Rome but said it appears to have a topography and character with much in common to Tahlequah.

Although many historic buildings have been destroyed in both communities, two outstanding homes survive: the George Murrell Home in Park Hill and the Major Ridge Home/Chieftains Museum in Rome.

Ross owned fine homes in both towns, but both are long gone. He lost his house and property at the confluence of three rivers shortly before Rome was established in 1834, and his Rose Cottage at Park Hill was burned by Confederate troops during the Civil War.

And although Murrell was a Confederate, he was married to a Ross, and members of the Ross family occupied the antebellum mansion for much of its history.

Rome has a population of about 36,000. It also is a college town: Rome boasts two private four-year colleges, two two-year colleges, and Darlington Boarding School, which has an international reputation, said Claudia Oakes, director of Chieftains Museum.

Both communities are Main Street downtown revitalization cities. And while Rome is at the confluence of three rivers, Tahlequah is close to the confluence of three other rivers, east of Muskogee, that were important early trade routes in the area.