Webster History

The area that would become Webster was supporting community life long before European settlers arrived. In the vicinity of present-day Webster, there were at least two Cherokee towns. Tuckasegee Town, “where the box turtles are,” was the most prominent town on the upper Tuckasegee River throughout most of the 18th century. This settlement lay in the path of the Rutherford Expedition and was attacked and destroyed in 1776.

Also nearby was a town known to the Cherokee as Unadanti'yi, meaning "where they conjured." According to the story as recorded in History, Myths, and Sacred Formulas of the Cherokees by James Mooney:

A war party of Shawano, coming from the direction of Pigeon River, halted here to 'make medicine' against the Cherokee, but while thus engaged were surprised by the latter, who came up from behind and killed several, including the conjurer.

James Mooney collected his myths of the Cherokee between 1887 and 1890 for the Bureau of American Ethnology. He gives credit to Civil War veteran Captain James W. Terrell of Webster for guiding him and introducing him to the Cherokee.

Webster is home to two well-preserved Cherokee fish weirs. These V-shaped rock structures were constructed in the Tuckesegee River to herd fish for collection. They are a testament of the rich culture of this region.

The Town of Webster was established in 1853 at the same time that Jackson County was created from portions of Macon and Haywood Counties. Jackson County was named for the Democratic president and North Carolinian, Andrew Jackson, while the County’s government center of Webster was named for the New England Whig, Daniel Webster.

In 1974, the Webster Historical Society published The Webster Cookbook. It is filled with stories of the history and earlier days of the town. Louise Barker Davis, an English and journalism teacher at the Webster School, wrote a history of the town in “Just Above the Tuckaseigee.”

Webster was for sixty years a county seat. In 1851, from portions of Haywood, Macon, and Swain Counties of Western North Carolina, a new county, Jackson was formed. In April 1853, for one hundred dollars, an eighteen acre tract of land, bought from Nathan Allen, became the site of Webster, Jackson's county seat. Five years later an act to incorporate the town of Webster was passed by North Carolina's General Assembly. The act read:

Beginning at the mouth of Love's Mill Creek, thence up said creek to Love's Mill, thence north one half mile to a stake, thence west to the Tuckaseegee River, thence up its meanders to the beginning point... Sessions Laws 1858-1859

Lying in an area of natural beauty, Webster proper is built on a ridge flanked by rolling farmland which ascends into tree-covered hills.

With the building of the Southern Railway from Asheville west, prosperity came to the region. Webster, with its agriculture, mining and small businesses, became an active little town - the nucleus of Jackson County….

Change came in 1913, when a fire destroyed many of Webster’s businesses. With the prospect of rebuilding came the opportunity to relocate the county seat to Sylva, a new town that had developed directly along the railway.

Webster had no functioning municipal government from 1913 to 1953. With citizen interest and through an act of the legislature, Webster’s charter was reactivated in 1953. Since then, Webster has had a representative government with a mayor, a five-member town board, and a town clerk.

Throughout its history, Webster has maintained its small-town charm even as the popularity of the mountainous region has continued to grow.

Located in the heart of Jackson County, Webster is a walkable community with convenient access to nearby schools, colleges, churches, and numerous recreational opportunities just outside the front door.

Historic Landmarks

Webster is home to six structures (of 20 in Jackson County) listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Links to pdfs of the historic record of each property are included.

The Webster cemetery, which was established in 1851, is also considered a place of historical significance for the community. Many of Jackson County’s founders and early prominent residents are buried there.

The Town of Webster created a historic tour focusing on the six National Register properties located within its limits. The tour is an effort by town officials to promote physical activity and community engagement while also featuring some of the unique historic properties.