Konehete, the Long Valley Place later shortened by whites to Valleytown, was the first name of Andrews. For centuries the Long Valley was home to Cherokee communities including Little Tellico, Tomatla, Conostee, Quotoconechito, Nehowee, Dasetsi, and Connehitoyn, and it was the most densely settled area of the Cherokee Nation, a heartland protected by towering mountains. The valley was the bread basket of the Cherokee Nation, with rich fertile soil and protection from the weather that made it ideal for agriculture. After the 1838 Cherokee removal, Cherokee enclaves re-established at Little Tellico and Tomatlas, and the area remains home to communities of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.