Murray is an original county, one of ten created illegally from the Cherokee Nation following the Land Lottery of 1832 and the Gold Lottery. Originally the county covered the entire northeastern portion of the state. Dade County, Walker County, Catoosa County, Whitfield County and Fannin County were once part of the original Murray County.
One of the best known places in the Cherokee Nation was where the Knoxville Road came off the Old Federal Road to Nashville, or the Georgia Road. It too was known as the Old Federal Road, causing confusion to some later historians. The road ran north past Chief Vann's House, which developed a post office and general store to serve the needs of the travelers.