Andrews, NC

Andrews is a Cherokee County town along the Valley River, with a railroad-and-mountain-town story that includes one of the hardest chapters in North Carolina history. The settlement grew as the railroad moved up the valley and was incorporated in 1905; logging, tanning, and manufacturing followed. Before that, Fort Delaney stood here during the forced removal of Cherokee people in 1838, and the Valley River was part of the homeland of the Cherokee people. Today U.S. 19, 74, and 129 wrap around town, Andrews Elementary, Middle, and High serve local students, and Main Street groups shops and community events near the river. Andrews is a small mountain town where the river, rail line, and removal road all remain part of the map.