Cherokee County Genealogy
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The county was formed in 1839 from the western part of Macon County. It was named for the Cherokee people, some of whom still live in the area. (The trail of Tears had begun in 1838 after the 1837 Treaty of New Echota). The Cherokee county seat of Murphy was named for Archibald Murphey a former legislator. The name was misspelled. The Cherokee County courthouse was burned during the Civil War by Union Raiders.
Today Cherokee County is home to the Qualla Boundary also known as the Eastern Cherokee Indian Reservation although this is not contiguous land with the Qualla Boundary located in Swain and Jackson Counties where the large portion of the Cherokee Indian Reservation is located. The county is divided up into the following townships: Beaverdam, Hothouse, Murphy, Notla, Shoal Creek, and Valleytown.
Cherokee County is the westernmost county in North Carolina.
In 1861 the southeastern part of Cherokee County became Clay County; in 1872 its northeastern part became Graham County. Source Wikipedia
Cherokee County Historical Society
205 Peachtree Street
Murphy, NC 28906
Old Buncombe County Genealogical Society, Inc.
P.O. Box 2122
Asheville, NC 28802
(covers Buncombe, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, Swain, and Transylvania Counties)
Cherokee Historical Museum
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Cherokee County Courthouse
75 Peachtree Street
County Courthouse
Murphy, NC 28906
Census
1840 Federal Census Index – by last name only
1840 Federal Census Index
1840 Federal Census Transcription directory opens to list of text files with previous index and files named by page number referred to in the previous index
1840 Federal Census Transcription
1850 Federal Census Index – by last name
1850 Federal census transcription – part 1
1850 Federal census transcription – part 2
1850 Federal census transcription – part 3
1850 Federal Census Mortality Schedule transcription
1860 Federal Census Transcription part 1
1860 Federal Census Transcription part 2
1860 Federal Census Transcription part 3
1860 Federal Census Transcription part 4
1860 Federal Census Transcription part 5
1870 Federal Census transcription – Cheoah and Stecoah Districts In 1872 these counties became part of Graham County.
Other Records
1851 Chapman Rolls – Buffalo town
1851 Chapman Rolls – Murphy area
1851 Chapman Rolls – River area
Cemeteries
USGS listing of cemeteries in Cherokee County
Query Forums
Cherokee County, NC Query Forum
Latest North Carolina Genealogy Query posts for Cherokee County from the Forum:
Cherokee County, NC at Genforum
Cities and towns of Cherokee county:
Andrews
Aquone
Culberson
Marble
Murphy (County Seat)
Topton
Unaka
News related to Cherokee County, NC
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