“Discover Us”
Franklin is located in Southwest North Carolina and though it has a thriving commercial side it also has a lot to offer visitors of all ages when they pass through the area. From museums and history to performing arts and beyond, Franklin brings a different palette to the table for visitors to the Smoky Mountains.
The Cherokee were the first people to call the area of Franklin, NC home. This area had an enormous mound and was one of the sites of the sacred fire that the Cherokee had kept burning since the founding of their civilization. With the influx of the European settler, the Cherokee were forced to relocate. The European settlers soon found that the area was full of priceless gemstones and the mining industry took hold of what would become the city of Franklin.
The gem mining industry in North Carolina had a short-lived history. The mines eventually became overshadowed by other countries and places in the US that could mine the gems more easily and get to market much faster. As the industry of gem mining dried up the town of Franklin shifted to other economic methods and embraced the tourism industry as its main way of making money and supplying jobs for its citizenry.
Stats
- 3,845 population
- 2,119’ (average altitude)
- 35°10′52″N 83°22′54″W
- Macon County
- http://www.discoverfranklinnc.com/
Most Recent Posts
- Franklin Gem and Mineral Museum - If you are interested in the lapidary arts you might want to take a ride into Franklin, NC and visit the Franklin Gem and Mineral Museum. Due to the history of the area, it is no wonder that a museum has been established to show off the gems and the mining industry that brought Franklin … Continue reading "Franklin Gem and Mineral Museum"
- Franklin, NC - “Discover Us” Franklin is located in Southwest North Carolina and though it has a thriving commercial side it also has a lot to offer visitors of all ages when they pass through the area. From museums and history to performing arts and beyond, Franklin brings a different palette to the table for visitors to the … Continue reading "Franklin, NC"
- Scottish Tartan Museum - It was easy for the people from the Highlands of Scotland to find a home in the Smoky Mountains. They found in the Smokies a place that resembled home, a place that looked like the land they had left. The Scottish and the Irish that live din other parts of the former British Colonies made … Continue reading "Scottish Tartan Museum"
- Smoky Mountains Center for the Performing Arts - Places everybody! You’re likely to hear just that, or something similar, if you find yourself in the middle of Franklin, NC. Coming from one of the side streets just off the main drag that is. The Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts (SMCPA) is a hidden gem in a small, tucked away town in … Continue reading "Smoky Mountains Center for the Performing Arts"
- History of Franklin, NC - Long before the first European settlers arrived to the mountains of Southwestern North Carolina, they were home to the Cherokee Indian Nation. In a valley surrounded by some of the oldest mountains on earth, the Cherokee called the area that is now Franklin, NC, “Nikwasi” or “center of activity”. Nikwasi was an ancient and important … Continue reading "History of Franklin, NC"