The 400 year plus of history have the Preserve and Center positioned on a of land . The preserve also contains a walking trail , creek , gardens and many animals . During a 2006 historic assets survey done by Fulton County , archeologists discovered a shaft gold mine , part of the mill foundations , the mill dam site , and remnants of the miller 's house foundation . It also lies on land that was previously owned by the Cherokee Indians in 1755 . They were later forced off the land in 1830 , gradually settling in Oklahoma traveling on the Trail of Tears . The property was granted to settlers in the Cherokee County Gold Lottery of 1832 . It passed through several owners before being sold to Ransom Autrey , owner of the grist mill , which operated until the 1900s . Various owners of the property followed , with the last private owners , the Debray family , making extensive building additions to the site during the 1970s
Trail of Tears
Trail of Tears
Autrey Mill Nature Preserve & Heritage Center