Hiwasee

The Hiwassee River rises on the slopes of the southern Appalachians and follows a winding course north and west to the Tennessee. Along its upper waters, Cherokee tradition tells of Tlanusi-yi, the Leech Place, where a monstrous leech could command the river and sweep people to its depths. The name Hiwassee has appeared in many spellings and has been associated with a Cherokee word for a meadow or savanna.