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Murphy is a town in Cherokee County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,568 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Cherokee County and is commonly accepted as the westernmost town in North Carolina. History
The site of Murphy, along the Hiwassee River, was known to the Cherokee as Tlanusi-yi (the Leech Place), due to a story of a giant leech named Tlanusi living in the river (Duncan 2003:177). The Trading Path (later called the "Unicoi Turnpike") passed by the future site of Murphy, connecting the Cherokee lands east of the mountains with the "Overhill Towns" of Tennessee (Duncan 2003:245). During the Trail of Tears era, American troops built Fort Butler in present-day Murphy. This fort acted as the main collection point for Cherokee east of the mountains. From Fort Butler the Cherokee were taken over the mountains on the Unicoi Turnpike to the main internment camps at Fort Cass (today Charleston, Tennessee Today the Unicoi Turnpike is known as Joe Brown Highway. The Cherokee County Historical Museum is located in Murphy, and contains information about the Trail of Tears era (Duncan 2003:185). Murphy was the terminus point of the historic Murphy Branch rail line built in the late 1800s giving the section of track its name. The branch no longer reaches Murphy. Research Tips
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