Editing Clay County, North Carolina (section)

===County formation===
In the fall of 1860, [[George W. Hayes (North Carolina)|George Hayes]], who was running for state representative from Cherokee County, promised his constituents to introduce legislation to organize a new county in the region. That would bring business associated with a new county seat, and make government accessible to more people. In February 1861 the legislation was introduced and passed by the North Carolina General Assembly.<ref name="ncmtn">{{cite web|url=http://www.ncmtnchamber.com/history-of-clay-county |title=Welcome to the Clay County Chamber of Commerce |publisher=Ncmtnchamber.com |access-date=October 27, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120803234020/http://www.ncmtnchamber.com/history-of-clay-county |archive-date=August 3, 2012 }}</ref> Clay County was formed primarily from [[Cherokee County, North Carolina|Cherokee County]], however a small area was taken from Macon County; it was named for statesman [[Henry Clay]], former Secretary of State and member of the [[United States Senate]] from [[Kentucky]]. In honor of Mr. Hayes, the legislature designated the new county seat as Hayesville.<ref name="ncmtn"/> The town was incorporated on March 12, 1913.<ref name="Padgett"/>

In 1860 Fort Hembree was reactivated to train soldiers for the [[American Civil War|Civil War]]. Early county trials and the first county commissioners’ meetings were held at the fort. It also contained a general store. Given the interruption of the war, Clay County lacked an organized, formal government until 1868.<ref name="Moorebook" /> Hicksville Academy, which became [[Hayesville High School]] (today the county's only public high school), was founded in 1870.<ref name="book1">{{cite conference |last=Leek |first=Mark |year=2003 |title=History of Clay County Schools From 1850 until Present |url=https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fdocs.clayschools.org%2Fccshistory%2Fccshistory.doc&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK |conference=Doctoral project in the Issues of Rural Education class at Western Carolina University}}</ref> In the 1890s it was bought by Duke University and offered college courses.<ref name="Padgett2">{{Cite book |last=Padgett |first=Guy |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xp63GAAACAAJ |title=A History of Clay County, North Carolina |date=1976 |publisher=Clay County Bicentennial Committee}}</ref>

After the initial wood-frame county courthouse was destroyed by arson in 1870, the brick [[Clay County Courthouse (North Carolina)|courthouse]] was constructed in 1888.<ref name=Moorebook/> It has been listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hayesville.org/default.htm |title=Hayesville, North Carolina - Home Page |publisher=Hayesville.org |access-date=October 27, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120824020307/http://www.hayesville.org/default.htm |archive-date=August 24, 2012 }}</ref> In mid-2007, courthouse operations moved to a new complex built {{convert|1|mi|km}} west of the town square.<ref name=Moorebook/>

The first post office to open in what became Clay County began service January 8, 1844, at Fort Hembree. At its peak, Clay County boasted 17 post offices. By 1976 there were only three remaining, in Hayesville, [[Warne, North Carolina|Warne]], and Brasstown.<ref name="Padgett"/>

Clay County’s borders have expanded twice since its formation. In 1872, the county annexed Buck Creek and Black Mountain from Macon County. In 1874, the county added a part of the [[Brasstown Creek]] area extending to the [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] state line.<ref name=Moorebook/>

In the late 1870s and early 1880s the Tusquittee Turnpike toll road operated from Clay County to the [[Nantahala River]] in Macon County.<ref name=Moorebook/> Tiger’s Store is thought to be the oldest continuously operating business in Clay County. It was established around 1899 in [[Shooting Creek Township, Clay County, North Carolina|Shooting Creek]] and moved to Hayesville around 1908.<ref name=Moorebook/> A ruby from Clay County is part of the [[Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=1969-06-29 |title=Clay County has 'Accessible Isolation' |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/195658219/?match=1&terms=%22crown%20jewels%22%20%22chatuge%22 |access-date=2024-10-16 |work=[[Asheville Citizen-Times]] |page=H4}}</ref>