Charleston, TN

The Hiwassee River is Charleston’s defining line, with the city on its south bank and Calhoun’s paper-and-tissue mill complex across the water. The place began as Walker’s Ferry and later held the Cherokee Agency; in 1838, Fort Cass became an encampment where thousands of Cherokee people were detained during removal. The Hiwassee River Heritage Center and the Charleston Cumberland Presbyterian Church keep that history visible, while the annual International Cowpea Festival turns the old agricultural story into a day of food, music, and a cook-off. Charleston is a small Bradley County city with a river boundary, Cherokee history, and the “pea train” still echoing through the festival.