FORT PAYNE

city, seat (1842) of DeKalb county, northeastern Alabama, U.S., in Big Wills Valley between Lookout and Sand mountains. Founded in 1836, it was named for Captain John Payne, a government agent involved in the forced removal of the Cherokee to the West. It was incorporated in 1889, during a mining boom (188992). Subsequently, agriculture, light industries, and tourism became the economic mainstays. Within the city is Manitou Cave, noted for its stalagmites and fossils. Nearby are Desoto State Park and the site of Will's Town, an Indian village where Sequoyah devised (1809) the Cherokee alphabet. Pop. (1992 est.) 12,116.