Brasstown is an
unincorporated community located mostly within
Clay County,
North Carolina, United States, though roughly one third of Brasstown is within the adjacent
Cherokee County.
Etymology
The name, "Brasstown," was given to several historic towns in the Cherokee region, including this one. The name resulted from confusion in translating the Cherokee name, "''Itse'yĭ''" (meaning 'New Green Place' or 'Place of Fresh Green') with "''Ûňtsaiyĭ''" (meaning "brass").
Annual opossum drop
The Opossum Drop was an annual event at Clay's Corner
convenience store
A convenience store, convenience shop, corner store or corner shop is a small retail business that stocks a range of everyday items such as coffee, groceries, snack foods, confectionery, soft drinks, ice creams, tobacco products, lottery ticket ...
organized by Clay and Judy Logan. At midnight on
New Year's Eve
In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Eve, also known as Old Year's Day or Saint Sylvester's Day in many countries, is the evening or the entire day of the last day of the year, on 31 December. The last day of the year is commonly referred to ...
, instead of
dropping an object, a plexiglass box containing a living
opossum
Opossums () are members of the marsupial order Didelphimorphia () endemic to the Americas. The largest order of marsupials in the Western Hemisphere, it comprises 93 species in 18 genera. Opossums originated in South America and entered North ...
was lowered from the roof of the store. At midnight the animal was lowered to the ground while a small crowd of local residents sometimes shot fireworks.
For many years the New Year's Eve celebration took place under much protest and with due cause. In 2018, the "Possum Drop" moved from Brasstown to
Andrews, NC with Clay Logan remaining the organizer. In 2019, Clay's Corner reopened under the management of the Logan Family. The Opossum Drop will not be held again as the young female opossum was caught in a leg hold trap and badly injured. Her leg was broken and had to be amputated. So, as the possum can no longer be the center of attention, Clay's Corner will now be dropping a fake possum in honor of the tradition.
Education
The
John C. Campbell Folk School
The John C. Campbell Folk School, also referred to as "The Folk School", is located in Brasstown, North Carolina, along the Cherokee County and Clay line. It is a non-profit adult educational organization based on non-competitive learning. Origin ...
, dedicated to preserving and encouraging the folk arts of the Appalachian Mountains, is located in Brasstown. It was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
The land for the Folk School was donated by Fred O. Scroggs, who wanted to preserve the folk teachings of mountain culture.
Tri-County Race Track
The Tri-County Race Track
Tri-County Race Track
info missing is a 1/4-mile banked dirt oval race track located in Brasstown, it often hosts races Friday evenings.
References
External links
NC HomeTownLocator
Roadside Thoughts
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brasstown, North Carolina
Unincorporated communities in Clay County, North Carolina
Unincorporated communities in North Carolina
Unincorporated communities in Cherokee County, North Carolina