Site of notorious fort tied to Trail of Tears being given to Cherokee, NC town says

A plot of land in western North Carolina that served as a starting point for the notorious Trail of Tears is being handed over to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

The Murphy Town Council announced July 6 that it unanimously approved a resolution conveying Fort Butler Park and Historic Site – about 0.8 of an acre – to the Cherokee at no cost.

Fort Butler served as one of several Army internment sites during the forced removal of Cherokee people from the southeastern U.S. in 1838. It is believed 3,000 Cherokee prisoners passed through the fort on their way to deportation camps in eastern Tennessee, the N.C. Trail of Tears Association says.

The journey became known as the Trail of Tears because it resulted in an estimated 10,000 Cherokee deaths, the National Park Service reports.

“Fort Butler is tied to a painful chapter in Cherokee history. While the park is located in Murphy, I believe the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians should have the opportunity to care for this site and share its history in their own voice,” Murphy Mayor Tim Radford said in a July 6 news release.

“This is not Murphy stepping away from its history. It is about recognizing that history honestly, showing respect, and placing stewardship of this important place with the people most directly connected to its story.”

The idea came out of a community “brainstorming session” on ways to improve the town. Radford was at the meeting, and asked for ideas on how Murphy “could better care for Fort Butler Park.” Multiple options were discussed, including shared ownership with the Cherokee, he said.

“After discussing it, we felt a full transfer was the cleaner and better option,” Radford said.

The move has been widely applauded in the community, with Downtown Murphy Inc. calling it “moving toward a brighter future” and the Cherokee Preservation Foundation noting the land transfer is “an important step in honoring Cherokee history.”

Eastern Band of Cherokee officials said their intent is to preserve the site and help “future generations understand its significance.”

“It was here that Cherokee families were detained before being forced from their ancestral homelands,” Principal Chief Mitchell Hicks said in a statement posted July 7 on social media.

“The opportunity to return places like Fort Butler to Cherokee stewardship is an important part of preserving our history and strengthening our sovereignty. It allows us to ensure that this story is told truthfully.”

A legal process is required to complete the transfer, and should be completed in the next few weeks, town officials noted. “Until that process is complete, Fort Butler Park will remain under town ownership and maintenance,” officials said.

The Eastern Band of Cherokee is descended from 300 to 400 Cherokee who hid from U.S. soldiers in the North Carolina wilderness. They were not formally granted freedom to live in North Carolina until 1866, state historians say.

Murphy is about a 240-mile drive southwest from uptown Charlotte.

This story was originally published July 9, 2026 at 7:48 AM with the headline "Site of notorious fort tied to Trail of Tears being given to Cherokee, NC town says."