[4] While located along the Tennessee River, the town was started as a stop along the Memphis and Charleston Railroad during the late 1850s and early 1860s.

[5] Cherokee is situated along U.S. Route 72 west of Muscle Shoals and a few miles east of the Alabama-Mississippi state line.

The land for this complex, including the football field, was donated by the Harris family of Cherokee.

The Natchez Trace Parkway passes north and west of Cherokee and is part of the National Park Service.

[13] Once a vital passenger carrier for the area, the railroad is an important artery for the Norfolk Southern Railway system, connecting Chattanooga and Memphis.

The railroad has a spur to Cherokee Nitrogen to transport ammonia and ammonium nitrate manufactured by the facility.

The Tennessee River was a critical transportation corridor for the South during the American Civil War.

The river provides recreation, continues to transport goods, and is an important factor in industrial activity in the area.

Northwest Alabama Regional Airport is located 23 miles (37 km) east of Cherokee.

The park was constructed to attract industry to western Colbert County and has become an important economical revitalization to the area.

On the night of November 13, 2012, Cherokee Nitrogen was the scene of a devastating explosion heard 45 miles (72 km) away that left at least one employee injured.

[15] Vulcan Materials' Cherokee Facility has been located on the east edge of town for many years.

[16] In July 2007 National Steel Car announced a decision to locate a new manufacturing facility in the industrial park, the largest new employer in Colbert County in the prior 40 years.

[20] National Alabama is designed to provide steel railcars and was expected to be the largest employer in the area.

The Colbert family were leaders of the Chickasaw Nation that resided in this area before they were forcibly relocated in the 19th century.

Each Labor Day a large celebration is held at the graveyard and is attended by many politicians seeking office.

[22] Stanfield-Worley Bluff Shelter, located near Cherokee, is a significant find of early human life in North America.

Barton Hall is located southwest of town and was a significant plantation prior to and during the Civil War.

The residence is on the National Register of Historic Places but is privately owned and not open to the public.

Before the Tennessee Valley Authority closed the gates on Pickwick Dam this town was an important transportation location on the Tennessee River as it marked the beginning of the treacherous shoals that hampered transportation in the Shoals Area until the opening of Riverton Lock in 1911.

[23] It was the home of George Colbert who ran a ferry to carry passengers traveling the Natchez Trace across the Tennessee River.