Near Salem in Oconee County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)

Jocassee Town

Photographed by Cindy Bullard, January 19, 2010

1. Jocassee Town Marker

Inscription. Jocassee was one of several Cherokee “Lower Towns” in what is now S.C. It was located about 2 mi. E on the Jocassee River and in the Vale of Jocassee, near the modern Jocassee Dam. The town, like other Cherokee Lower Towns, was abandoned and resettled several times during the period 1750-1800. The town site and valley were covered by Lake Jocassee in 1973.

Erected 2006 by by the Oconee Arts and Historical Commission and the South Carolina Heritage Corridor. (Marker Number 37-14.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Indigenous Peoples and Communities. A significant historical year for this entry is 1973.

Location. 34° 57.198′ N, 82° 56.94′ W. Marker is near Salem, South Carolina, in Oconee County. It is on Buckeye Drive, on the right when traveling north. Marker is located in Devils Fork State Park in front of the main picnic shelter. Park is 3 miles north of SC 11 on Lake Jocassee, reached from Jocassee Drive (S-37-25). Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Salem SC 29676, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in South Carolina’s and pstate,

in the Foothills, in the Golden Corner. It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Deep South,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the original Cherokee Nation,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 7 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Wm. Jennings Bryan Dorn Bridge (approx. 3.3 miles away); Salem Confederate Monument (approx. 4.7 miles away); The Cherokee Path

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(approx. 4.7 miles away); Eastatoee Valley (approx. 5.2 miles away); Tamassee DAR School (approx. 6 miles away); Texas Friendship Cottage (approx. 6.2 miles away); Josephine C. Peters — West Virginia Cottage (approx. 6.2 miles away); May Erwin Talmadge Auditorium/Gymnasium (approx. 6.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Salem.

Lake Jocassee image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cindy Bullard, January 19, 2010

2. Lake Jocassee

Lake Jocassee Boat Ramp image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cindy Bullard, January 19, 2010

3. Lake Jocassee Boat Ramp

Photographed by Tracy Andersen Roberts, June 9, 2025

4. Jocassee Town Marker

Seen from the Lake Jocassee boat ramp, picnic pavillion behind the marker

Credits. This page was last revised on September 12, 2025. It was originally submitted on February 9, 2010, by David Bullard of Seneca, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 2,124 times since then and 59 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on February 9, 2010, by David Bullard of Seneca, South Carolina. 4. submitted on September 7, 2025, by Tracy Andersen Roberts of Atlanta, Georgia. • Craig Swain was the editor who published this page.