Tugaloo

Tugaloo was a Cherokee town near the mouth of Toccoa Creek on the river of the same name. It belonged to the Lower Towns of the Savannah River headwaters, linked by paths to Estatoe, Keowee and communities across the mountains. An older mound and village stood in the valley, a reminder of the region's long settlement.

In 1715 an English expedition reached Tugaloo seeking Cherokee allies during the Yamasee War. The following year the killing of Lower Creek ambassadors at the town intensified conflict between the Cherokee and Creek. Trade continued after the violence, but repeated warfare damaged the Lower Towns. By the time James Adair published his history in 1775, he described Tugaloo and Estatoe as deserted or destroyed. The place remained a landmark in later negotiations over the boundaries of Creek land.