In 1843, prospectors searching for a rich mother load of gold near present day Ducktown instead found massive veins of rich copper ore. By 1850, a mine was in production, but it took three more years to construct a route connecting the area to the railroad in Cleveland, 33 miles away. Cherokee Indians hiding here to escape the Trail of Tears helped blast rock, dig dirt, and hand-pile rock retaining walls, and the route became known as the Old Copper Road. Using teams of mules and wagons, hauling copper ore over those difficult 33 miles took two days. In the 1930s, US Highway 64 was built along much of the original route, and a three mile stretch is the only part of this historic road still in existence.