Before cars, trains, bikes, and buggies, Scott Street followed older Cherokee horse trails and has been traced back to the Trail of Tears. Cherokee people from this area lived near the former Scott mansion and slate mine, near the present-day Beach Drive-In and the plains of Tellico where Stokely’s plant operated. They were marched along what is now Scott Street as part of the Unicoi Turn-Pike Trail, then led toward the Englewood area and separated to different locations. Scott Street later became known for smooth stone buildings rumored to have been built by German prisoners of war held in Tellico Plains, at the site of the current community center, using baskets of stones they were given to work with. Another building on the street, a white structure with red wavy trim, was inspired by Helen, Georgia, after its owner imagined remaking the strip in that white cottage style, though that plan never happened. Over time, the street also housed a wide range of businesses, including groceries, cafés, restaurants, barber and beauty shops, hardware, antiques, crafts, cars, yoga, and galleries, and it continues to grow and flourish.