Editing Macon County, North Carolina (section)

==History==
The river valleys were long occupied by indigenous peoples, some of whom built earthwork mounds about 1000 AD. Some are still visible in this region. It was part of the homeland of the historic [[Cherokee]] people, who had towns throughout the river valleys. The Cherokee in Western North Carolina are known as the [[Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians]], a federally recognized tribe.

The county was formed in 1828 from the western part of [[Haywood County, North Carolina|Haywood County]]. It was named for [[Nathaniel Macon]],<ref>{{cite book|last=Gannett|first=Henry|author-link=Henry Gannett|title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ|year=1905|publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office|page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ/page/n194 195]}}</ref> who represented North Carolina in the [[United States House of Representatives]] from 1791 to 1815 (serving as [[Speaker of the United States House of Representatives|Speaker of the House]] from 1801 to 1807), and in the [[United States Senate]] from 1815 to 1828. Macon County's first courthouse was a brick building constructed by Colonel David Coleman in Franklin in 1829.<ref name="court">{{cite web |url=http://www.courthouses.co/us-states/n/north-carolina/macon-county/ |title=Macon County |last=Harder |first=Dean |last2=Bahadoosingh |first2=Virine |work=Courthouses.co |date=2012 |access-date=February 16, 2024}}</ref>

In 1839 the western part of Macon County became [[Cherokee County, North Carolina|Cherokee County]]. In 1851 parts of Macon County and Haywood County were combined to form [[Jackson County, North Carolina|Jackson County]].

[[File:The clock tower of the old Macon County Courthouse (1881–1972) in Franklin NC 03.jpg|thumb|The clock tower of the old Macon County Courthouse (1881–1972)]]
A new two-story brick courthouse was designed by William Gould Bulgin and constructed by John Davis in 1881. The neighboring [[Clay County Courthouse (North Carolina)|Clay County Courthouse]] was modeled after it. Macon County's historic courthouse was demolished when a new three-story modern neo-formalist courthouse was built in 1972 by architect Kyle C Boone. However, the former courthouse's cupola was saved and remains on display in a downtown park.<ref name="court" />

Macon County's first hospital opened in Franklin in August 1923. In 1926, the first permanent hospital in North Carolina west of [[Asheville, North Carolina|Asheville]] was built and named Angel Brothers Hospital. It was renamed Angel Hospital in 1940. A new $68 million [[Angel Medical Center]] was built east of Franklin in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lofthouse |first=Brittney |date=September 12, 2022 |title=Nearly 100 years after Dr. Angel launched Angel Medical Center, new hospital facility to hold ribbon cutting on Tuesday |url=https://thesouthernscoopnews.com/latest-news/nearly-100-years-after-dr-angel-launched-angel-medical-center-new-hospital-facility-to-hold-ribbon-cutting-on-tuesday |access-date=April 20, 2024 |website=The Southern Scoop |language=en-US}}</ref>
[[File:Franklin Academy Franklin Terrace Inn, Franklin, NC (31714580827).jpg|thumb|[[Franklin Terrace Hotel]] in Franklin]]