Cherokee, CA

Cherokee is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Butte County, California, United States. The 2020 census counted 88 residents. Cherokee is an area inhabited by Maidu Indians prior to the gold rush, but takes its name from a band of Cherokee prospectors who perfected a mining claim on the site. Cherokee lies at an elevation of 1306 feet. Cherokee, California is not seen as a tourist location though visitors can come to Cherokee to see the museum and the cemetery, and for its two annual festivals, on July 4 and on a weekend near September 24, which is called President Hayes Day.

ATTRFrank Schulenburg / CC BY-SA 4.0

In the vicinity are Sugarloaf, a nearby promontory which is home to deer, foxes, doves, peacocks and hiking trails. Grow Academy in Shafter, along with Cherokee nation offering scholarships for their students, and emphasizing tribal history and culture in their curriculum. In Cherokee, history and present-day settings sit close enough to belong to the same local picture. The map tells the story in Cherokee, where earlier chapters remain visible in current streets, buildings, and gathering places.