ViewsWatchers |
Contained Places
Cherokee County is the westernmost county in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It borders Tennessee to its west and Georgia to its south. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 28,774. The county seat is Murphy, population 1,687 (2021), elevation 1604 ft.
[edit] History
This area was occupied for thousands of years by indigenous peoples who settled in the river valleys. It was part of the historic Cherokee homelands, a large territory composed of areas of what are now western Virginia, western North and South Carolina, eastern Tennessee, and northeastern Georgia. The county was formed in 1839 from the western part of Macon County in the year that the United States removed most of the Cherokee from the Southeast on what became known as the Trail of Tears. The county was named for the Cherokee Native Americans. It is near the Qualla Boundary, now lands of the federally recognized Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. This is the only such recognized tribe in North Carolina. The tribe is primarily composed of descendants of Cherokee who remained in North Carolina at the time of removal. As European-American population increased in the area in the 19th century, the state legislature created new counties. In 1861 the southeastern part of Cherokee County became Clay County. In 1872, its northeastern part was separated and organized as Graham County. In the late 19th century, there was widespread interest in Native American cultures. In the 1870s, the Valentine brothers of Richmond, Virginia, caused extensive damage to at least eight ancient mounds in Cherokee, Haywood, Jackson, and Swain counties. They roughly excavated and looted them, seeking artifacts for the museum of their father, Mann S. Valentine, which he operated in Richmond. [edit] Timeline
[edit] Population History
[edit] Research Tips[edit] External linkswww.main.nc.us/cherokee/index.html
|