Murphy

MURPHY

"Murphy, the county-seat, is a small, weather-worn village, located nearly in the center of the valley. The western North Carolina railroad, as projected, will, on its way to Ducktown, soon intersect it." (1883, Zeigler, Wilbur and Ben Grosscup. In the Heart of the Alleghanies... p. 88)
"The little village of Murphy, whence I date this letter, lies at the junction of the Owassa and Valley rivers, and in point of location is one of the prettiest places in the world. Its Indian name was Klausuna, or the Large Turtle. It was so called, says a Cherokee legend, on account of its being the sunning place of an immense turtle which lived in its vicinity in ancient times. The turtle was particularly famous for its repelling power, having been known not to be at all injured by a stroke of lightning. Nothing on earth had power to annihilate the creature; but, on account of the many attempts made to take its life, when it was known to be a harmless and inoffensive creature, it became disgusted with this world, and burrowed its way into the middle of the earth, where it now lives in peace." (1849. Lanham, Charles. Letters from the Alleghany Mountains, p. 63)
"I passed through Murphy today, a pretty, shady town, surrounded by lovely scenery. I was a little surprised at the sight of a pillory and stocks, and to learn that a white man had been recently stripped, whipped and branded with a red hot iron for some petty crime by the officer of the law in the presence of my informant and of all the inhabitants, who could be called together to witness this solemn testimony of the legislative barbarism of their State. (1860, Olmsted, Frederick Law. A Journey In the Back Country: 1853-1854, p. 276)
"A little boy on a mule carrying a mail-bag, here overtook me. He said that he carried the mail from Ashville [sic] to Murphy, one hundred and fourteen miles travelling each way once a week. he starts from Ashville [Asheville] Monday morning and returns there Saturday night, rests on Sunday, but during the week travels an average of nearly forty miles a day on a mule's back. Last winter, he said, the snow was up to the mule's shoulders on the mountain, but he did not fail to accomplish his stated journey every day. When I asked him how old he was he said, 'he believed that he should be about fifteen in three or four months.' He had two mules, but only changed from one to the other on alternate weeks. He was paid $5 a month and board." (1860, Olmsted p. 279.)