They bought the land back from the federal government in the 1870s, after having been pushed off and forced to cede it earlier in the 19th century.

The stream flows about 10 miles (16 km) south where it merges with Smith Branch, Kepharts Prong, and the Kanati Fork to form the Oconaluftee River.

The historic Cherokee people occupied this region as their traditional homelands long before European encounter.

[7] The river and the village were named by the Cherokee prior to the arrival in this area of John Bartram, an English colonial explorer from Philadelphia.

[8] During the 1830s and the time of Indian removals from the Southeast, the Cherokee were allowed the chance to purchase plots of land for individual households, if they agreed to leave the tribe.