Franklin, Circa 1855, is the county seat of Macon County, NC. It is a quaint, beautiful town nestled in the mountains of Appalachia in Western North Carolina. The town motto is "Discover Us"! It's situated in Nantahala National Forest, is very near Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and has the Appalachian Trail run through it. Because of this, the area is very popular among hikers and outdoor enthusiasts.The town developed around a 1,000-year old platform mound, the center of the historic Cherokee town of Nikwasi. The area is rich in gems and minerals, and Frainklin itself is known as the Gem Capital of The World. The population was reported to be 4,175 in the 2020 census. The town is names after Jesse Franklin, a European-American settler who surveyed and organized the area as the county seat, and later went on to be a US state senator for NC, and then NC's 20th governor.