Murphy North Carolina

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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

Premiere Murphy NC Real Estate Agents

	Specializing in the residential and second home market, mountain view properties, and mountain chalets in Cherokee County, NC. A full service Real Estate office offering lots/acreage to a turn key custom home Tami Cook Cell: 828-361-3199  Office 877-837-5086 www.investinthemountains.com
	Providing a superior level of informed, professional real estate services to buyers and sellers in the mountain and lake communities of Hayesville, Murphy, Asheville NC Karen O. Onsager GRI Cell: 828-226-9879 Office: 828-389-1110 www.mountainmaxproperties.com

The site of Murphy NC, 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.

Murphy was also the home of the once well-known crafts manufacturer Margaret Studios, which operated a nationwide chain of gift stores for its woodcraft products and house wares, such as lazy susans and gift trays.

In 1922, the first paved highway opened from Murphy to the Georgia line and the Asheville to Murphy highway opened in 1926. In 1936 The Tennessee Valley Authority started construction of the Hiwassee Dam. The Hiwassee, Valley and Nottely Rivers and their tributaries provided an abundant supply of water to the dam and in 1938, one hundred years after the first families settled in this county, the whole face of these mountains changed when the lights came on in nearly every home, barn and store in the county.

The life of the mountainfolk changed with the introduction of electricity. Progress caught up with the quiet, simple and proud, yet harsh mountain way of life. Over 3,000 people lived in the area when Cherokee County was formed in 1839. By 1860 the population had grown to over 9,000. Today's population is over 24,000, yet Cherokee County still maintains a quiet, simple and proud mountain way of life.

National Register of Historic Places
The people of Cherokee County are proud of their heritage and proudly maintain seven properties on the National Register of Historic Places. Some of these are public and can be visited, while others are privately owned. Call the Chamber for information about visiting those that are of interest to you.


Valleytown Cultural Arts Center-Andrews
John C. Campbell Folk School Historic District- Brasstown
John Franklin Cobb House - Bellview
Cherokee County Courthouse - Murphy
Robert Lafayette Cooper House - Murphy
Franklin Pierce Cover House - Andrews
Harshaw Chapel and Cemetery - Murphy
The Walker Inn - Andrews

Source: Murphy NC