Graham County, North Carolina: History
The county was formed January 30, 1872, from the northeastern part of Cherokee County. It was named for William A. Graham, United States Senator from North Carolina (1840–1843) and Governor of North Carolina (1845–1849).
The first Graham County Courthouse was constructed in Robbinsville in 1874, but its floor collapsed two decades later while the building was packed during a murder trial. A replacement, built in 1895, was the last wooden courthouse built in North Carolina. The third and current building was completed in 1942.
In 1914, the U.S. Supreme Court settled a 22-year border dispute in which parts of Graham County were claimed by Tennessee. The land was awarded to North Carolina. The first public library in Graham County opened in Robbinsville in 1939. It joined the Nantahala Regional Library system in 1940. The facility was torn down in 1952 and replaced with a newer building which opened on April 6, 1953.
An F2 tornado struck Graham County during the 1974 Super Outbreak causing two deaths and 11 injuries. The community of Stecoah near Fontana Lake saw widespread damage.
On August 31, 1982, nine U.S. Air Force personnel were killed in Graham County during a training exercise when their plane crashed during a storm near John's Knob and Stratton Ridge. There is a 2015 memorial near the Cherohala Skyway, though victims' families have asked that it be moved to a more accessible location.