Brasstown, North Carolina

Brasstown is an unincorporated community located mostly within Clay County, North Carolina, United States, though roughly one third of Brasstown is within the adjacent Cherokee County.

Brasstown, North Carolina
Unincorporated community
Brasstown
Location within the state of North Carolina
Coordinates: 35°02′22″N 83°57′25″W
CountryUnited States
StateNorth Carolina
CountyClay
Area
 • Total12.21 sq mi (31.63 km2)
 • Land12.17 sq mi (31.52 km2)
 • Water0.04 sq mi (0.11 km2)
Elevation
1,736 ft (529 m)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP codes
28902
Area code(s)828
GNIS feature ID1019281 [1]

Etymology

The name, "Brasstown," was given to several historic towns in the Cherokee region, including this one. The name resulted from confusion in translating the Cherokee name, "Itse'yĭ" (meaning 'New Green Place' or 'Place of Fresh Green') with "Ûňtsaiyĭ" (meaning "brass").[2]

Annual opossum drop

The Opossum Drop was an annual event at Clay's Corner convenience store organized by Clay and Judy Logan.[3] At midnight on New Year's Eve, instead of dropping an object, a plexiglass box containing a living opossum was lowered from the roof of the store.[4] At midnight the animal was lowered to the ground while a small crowd of local residents sometimes shot fireworks.[5]

For many years the New Year's Eve celebration took place under much protest and with due cause. In 2018, the "Possum Drop" moved from Brasstown to Andrews, NC with Clay Logan remaining the organizer. In 2019, Clay's Corner reopened under the management of the Logan Family. The Opossum Drop will not be held again as the young female opossum was caught in a leg hold trap and badly injured. Her leg was broken and had to be amputated. Animal Help Now and The Opossum's Pouch Sanctuary at going to rally to have the 5 day law omitting the opossum from cruelty amended.[6]

Education

The John C. Campbell Folk School, dedicated to preserving and encouraging the folk arts of the Appalachian Mountains, is located in Brasstown. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.[7]

Tri-County Race Track

The Tri-County Race Track[8] is a 1/4-mile banked dirt oval race track located in Brasstown.

References
  1. Feature Detail Report for: Brasstown, Geographic Names Information System, 31 Dec 1981, retrieved 26 Jul 2013
  2. NOTE: the area surrounding Brasstown Bald in Georgia was also settled by the Cherokee people. English-speaking settlers to the area derived the word Brasstown from a translation error of the Cherokee word for its village place. Settlers confused the Cherokee locative name, Itse'yĭ" (meaning 'New Green Place' or 'Place of Fresh Green'), with Ûňtsaiyĭ (Brass), and referred to the settlement as Brasstown.
  3. Clay's Corner - Opossum Capital of the World - Clay & Judy Logan Proprietors http://www.clayscorner.com
  4. "New Years Eve at Clay's Corner * Brasstown, North Carolina * Opossum Capital of the World". www.clayscorner.com. Retrieved Apr 12, 2019.
  5. "Clay's Corner * Brasstown, North Carolina * Opossum Capital of the World". www.clayscorner.com. Retrieved Apr 12, 2019.
  6. [http://ahnow.org/blog/justice-for-millie-petition/ unfilled/BARE URL
  7. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  8. Tri-County Race Track info missing
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