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History · Cherokee

Cherokee’s post office opened in 1856, and 2 of its places are on the National Register

Most of Cherokee was built recently: 9% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1965. Below: 1 old photo or paper from 1936 on.

1856first post office
2on the National Register
9%homes built before 1940
1old photo or paper
2famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Cherokee’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Cherokee began

When was Cherokee founded?

1856

The Cherokee post office opened in 1856, the earliest record of the town by name.

2020 census: 970170 years
Founding year: the first Cherokee post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓

What stands out about Cherokee’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenOnly 1 old photo is in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.A National Historic Landmark2 places on the National Register, including Barton Hall, a National Historic Landmark.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Cherokee’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Cherokee’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
1 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewEast end of bridge (general view) - Buz…: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
On the National Register

2 historic places in Cherokee

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving. One is a National Historic Landmark, the highest tier.

places listed
2
National Historic Landmark
1
Barton Hall
historic buildings protected
3
each building in a district counts
first listed
1973
Barton Hall
Easterwood House
Buildings★ landmark

Architectural styles listings

Greek Revival1
Late Georgian1
★ Landmark
Barton HallGreek Revival
All 2 listings
Easterwood HouseBuilding · listed 2019

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

The story

How Cherokee came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Cherokee.

Read it all →

Cherokee was incorporated December 7, 1871 making it the second oldest incorporated municipality in Colbert County. While located along the Tennessee River, the town was started as a stop along the Memphis and Charleston Railroad during the late 1850s and early 1860s.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Cherokee, 1856 to 1991

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1856Post officeThe Cherokee post office opens
  3. 20th century
  4. 1936In the archiveEast end of bridge (general view) - Buzzard Roost Covered Bridge, Highway to Allsboro Sou…
  5. 1938Born hereA. Tajudeen is born here
  6. 1973LandmarkBarton Hall named a National Historic Landmark
  7. 1991Born hereDominique Croom is born here
By decade

Cherokee, decade by decade

One decade in the archive so far: the 1930s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1930s1 item
East end of bridge (general view) - Buzzard Roost Covered Bridge, Highway to Allsboro Southwest of Cherokee1936East end of bridge (general view) - Buzzard Roost Cov…
1940s–1990snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album
Today5 recent
John Herbert weaves baskets in a dogtrot log cabin2010John Herbert weaves baskets in a dogtrot log cabinWest Colbert Family Practice in2007West Colbert Family Practice inDowntown2007DowntownCherokee Nitrogen Entrance2007Cherokee Nitrogen EntranceCherokee Alabama Post Office2007Cherokee Alabama Post Office
Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

East end of bridge (general view) - Buzzard Roost Covered Bridge, Highway to Allsboro Southwest of Cherokee
Retake this viewEast end of bridge (general view) - Buzzard Roost Covered Bridge, Highway to Allsboro Southwest of Cherokee, 1936

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Cherokee’s page.

Retake this view · +15
Famous people

2 famous people were born in Cherokee

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
A
A. TajudeenAmerican politician · b. 1938
D
Dominique CroomAmerican football player · b. 1991

Questions about Cherokee’s history

What year was Cherokee founded?

The Cherokee post office opened in 1856, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

What is on the National Register in Cherokee?

Two places: the Barton Hall (listed 1973) and the Easterwood House (2019).

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (6), the National Register of Historic Places (2), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.