Hackney Available

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, "Nikwasi" or "center of activity". Nikwasi was an ancient and important Cherokee town. The remains of Nikwasi Mound are still visible in downtown Franklin, marking the location of Nikwasi's townhouse. While the mound was probably built during the earlier Mississippian Culture, it was the spiritual center of the area.