He was notable for his role in negotiating and signing the Treaty of New Echota of 1835, which ceded the remainder of Cherokee lands in the Southeast to the United States.

He was part of a minority group known as the Treaty Party, who believed that relocation was inevitable and wanted to negotiate the best deal with the United States for their people.

The chiefs had agreed they could not go to war against the United States on the removal issue, but most other Cherokee opposed Ridge and the Treaty Party.

Major Ridge's first house here was small and built of hand-hewn logs, in the dogtrot style.

He made later additions to formally enclose the dogtrot and added extensions at each side, creating a white wood-frame two-story house.