Cherokee County was created on December 3, 1832, from Cherokee Indian Lands and was named in memory of the Cherokees. Early settlers tried to start silk production but were not successful, and today no trace of this remains except Canton, hopefully named for the Chinese silk center. The Marietta and North Georgia Railroad reached Canton in 1879, providing a considerable stimulus to development. The locally financed and managed textile mill, which began operations in 1900, has provided a payroll of much local importance.