Cullowhee, North Carolina

Cullowhee is a census-designated place (CDP) in Jackson County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 9,428 as of the 2010 census. The area known as Cullowhee has Western Carolina University, part of the UNC System, and the village/town of Forest Hills within its area. The Jackson County Recreation Department and the Jackson County Airport are also located in the Cullowhee area. The name of the town was long thought to mean "Valley of the Lillies," but is actually derived from part of the Cherokee phrase "joolth-cullah-wee" which translates as "Judacullah's Place." Judacullah, a giant warrior and hunter who the Cherokee believe lived in the area, is an important figure in their religion and culture.GeographyCullowhee is located at.According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 10.0sqmi, all land.ClimateLocated in a thermal valley, Cullowhee typically has a rather mild winter season. In the summer, high temperatures can reach into the s.HistoryNestled along a mountain river and in a valley along a creek, Cullowhee was originally a Cherokee village that may have been established as early as 3000 BCE. When European settlers moved into the area, Cullowhee became one of the first settlements in Jackson County and reportedly had the first school in the area, a one-room school in 1830. The area was largely farmland, which was cleared in the 1800s. Today many farms are now wooded or have homes built on them, or college buildings. In 1883, Painter Post Office was founded by Rolling A. Painter, and located in his store. This led to the further development of the Old Cullowhee Road area into a business district. The post office was renamed Cullowhee in 1908, taking over from another post office in the vicinity of Forest Hills. In 1889, Cullowhee High School was founded by Robert Lee Madison, today's Western Carolina University.