Clarksville, Tennessee

Clarksville is a city located in Montgomery County, Tennessee. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 103,455, retaining its position as Tennessee's fifth largest city. It is the county seat of Montgomery County{{GR|6}}. Clarksville is the home of Austin Peay State University.

History

Founding

The area around Clarksville was first surveyed by Thomas Hutchins in 1768. He identified Red Paint Hill, a rock bluff at the confluence of the Cumberland and Red Rivers, as a navigational landmark. In 1775, John Montgomery, the namesake of the county, along with Kaspar Mansker visited the area while on a hunting expedition. That same year, the land between the Ohio and the Cumberland was purchased by Richard Henderson from the Cherokee Indians for horses, guns, and alcohol. The other local tribes, such as the Creek, Shawnee, and Chickasaw claimed parts of the territory, creating conflict between the Indians and the settlers.

Related Topics:
Thomas Hutchins - 1768 - Bluff - Cumberland - Red - 1775 - John Montgomery - Kaspar Mansker - Ohio - Richard Henderson - Cherokee Indian - Creek - Shawnee - Chickasaw

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In 1779, James Robertson brought a group of settlers from upper East Tennessee via Daniel Boone's "Wilderness Road". Robertson would later build a iron plantation in Cumberland Furnace. A year later, in 1780, John Donelson led a group of flat boats up the Cumberland River bound for the settlement that would later be Nashville. When the boats reached Red Paint Hill, Moses Renfroe, Joseph Renfroe, and Solomon Turpin, along with their families, branched off onto the Red River. They traveled to the mouth of Parson's Creek, near Port Royal, and came ashore to settle down. However, an attack by Indians in the summer drove them back.

Related Topics:
1779 - James Robertson - East Tennessee - Daniel Boone - Wilderness Road - Iron plantation - Cumberland Furnace - 1780 - John Donelson - Nashville - Moses Renfroe - Joseph Renfroe - Solomon Turpin - Port Royal

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On January 16, 1784, John Armstrong filed notice with the Legislature of North Carolina to create the town of Clarksville. Even before it was officially designated a town, lots had been sold. After an official survey by James Sanders, Clarksville was founded by the North Carolina Legislature on December 29,1785. It was the second town to be founded in the area. Armstrong's layout for the town consisted of 12 four-acre (16,000 m²) squares built on the hill overlooking the Cumberland as to protect against floods. The primary streets (from north to south) that went east-west were named Jefferson, Washington (now College Street), Franklin, Main, and Commerce streets. North-south streets (from the river eastward) were named Water (now Riverside Drive), Spring, First, Second, and Third streets.

Related Topics:
January 16 - 1784 - John Armstrong - Legislature - North Carolina - James Sanders - December 29 - 1785

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The tobacco trade in the area was growing larger every year and in 1789, Montgomery and Martin Armstrong persuaded lawmakers to designate Clarksville as an inspection point for tobacco. In 1790, Isacc Rowe Peterson staked a claim to Dunbar Cave, just northeast of downtown.

Related Topics:
Tobacco - 1789 - Martin Armstrong - 1790 - Isacc Rowe Peterson - Dunbar Cave

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When Tennessee was founded as a state in 1796, the area around Clarksville and to the east was named Tennessee County. Later, Tennessee County would be broken up into modern day Montgomery and Robertson Counties, named to honor the men who first opened up the region for settlement.

Related Topics:
Tennessee - 1796 - Montgomery - Robertson

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1800s

As time progressed into the 19th century, Clarksville grew at a rapid pace. By 1806, the town realized the need for a educational institution, and the Rural Academy was established that year. Later, the Rural Academy would be replaced by the Mount Pleasant Academy. By 1819, the newly-established town had 22 stores, including a bakery and silversmith. In 1820, steamboats begin to navigate the Cumberland, bringing hardware, coffee, sugar, fabric, and glass. They also exported flour, tobacco, cotton, and corn to ports like New Orleans and Pittsburgh along the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. Trade via land also grew as four main dirt roads were established, two to Nashville, one crossing the Red River via ferry called the Kentucky Road, and Russellville Road. In 1829, the first bridge connecting Clarksville to New Providence was built over the Red River. Nine years later, the Clarksville-Hopkinsville Turnpike was built. In 1855, Clarksville was incorporated as a city. Railroad service came to the town on October 1, 1859 in the form of the Memphis, Clarksville, & Louisville Railroad. The line would later connect with other railroads at Paris, Tennessee and Guthrie, Kentucky.

Related Topics:
19th century - 1806 - 1819 - Bakery - Silversmith - 1820 - Steamboats - Hardware - Coffee - Sugar - Fabric - Glass - Flour - Cotton - Corn - New Orleans - Pittsburgh - Mississippi - Ferry - Kentucky Road - Russellville - 1829 - New Providence - Hopkinsville - Turnpike - 1855 - Railroad - October 1 - 1859 - Memphis, Clarksville, & Louisville Railroad - Paris, Tennessee - Guthrie, Kentucky

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By the start of the Civil War, the combined population of the city and the county was 20,000. The area was openly for slavery, as blacks worked in the tobacco fields. In 1861, both Clarksville and Montgomery County voted unanimously to join the Confederate States of America. The proximity of the birthplace of Confederate President Jefferson Davis gave the city a strong tie to the CSA, and both sides saw the city as strategic and important. Confederate General Albert Sidney Johnston set up a defense line around Clarksville expecting a land attack, however the Union sent troops and gunboats down the Cumberland, and in 1862, captured Fort Donelson, Fort Henry, and Clarksville. Between 1862 and 1865, the city would shift hands but the Union would retain control. Many slaves that had been freed gathered in Clarksville and joined the Union Army, which created all-black regiments. The remaining lived along the side of the river in shantys.

Related Topics:
Civil War - 1861 - Confederate States of America - Jefferson Davis - Albert Sidney Johnston - 1862 - Fort Donelson - Fort Henry - 1865 - Union Army - Regiments - Shanty

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After the war, the city began Reconstruction, and in 1872, the existing railroad was purchased by the Louisville & Nashville Railroad. The city reached a high point until the Great Fire of 1878, which destroyed 15 acres (60,000 m²) of downtown Clarksville's business district, including the courthouse at that time and many other historic buildings. It was believed to have started in a Franklin Street store. After the fire, the city rebuilt and entered the 20th century with a fresh start. It was at this time that the first automobile rolled into town, drawing much excitement.

Related Topics:
Reconstruction - 1872 - Louisville & Nashville Railroad - 20th century - Automobile

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The 20th century

Another new form of entertainment soon came. In 1913, the Lillian Theater, Clarksville's first "movie house" for motion pictures, opened on Franklin Street. It sat more than 500 people. Less than two years later, in 1915, the theater burned down. It was rebuilt later that year.

Related Topics:
1913 - 1915

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As World War I raged in Europe, many locals volunteered to go, a move that would earn Tennessee the nickname "The Volunteer State". Also during this time, women's suffrage was becoming a major issue, and Clarksville women saw a need for banking independent of their husbands and fathers who were fighting. In response, the First Women's Bank of Tennessee was established in 1919 by Mrs. Frank J. Runyon.

Related Topics:
World War I - Europe - 1919

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The 1920s brought additional growth to the city. Travelwise, a bus line between Clarksville and Hopkinsville was established in 1922. 1927 saw the creation of Austin Peay Normal School, later to become Austin Peay State University. Two more theaters were added, the Majestic (with 600 seats) and the Capitol (with 900 seats) Theaters, both in 1928. John Outlaw, a local aviator, established Outlaw Field in 1929.

Related Topics:
1920s - 1922 - 1927 - Austin Peay State University - 1928 - John Outlaw - 1929

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The largest change to the city came in 1942, as construction of Camp Campbell (now known as Fort Campbell) began. The new army base ten miles northwest of the city, and capable of holding 23,000 troops, gave an immediate boost to the population and economy of Clarksville.

Related Topics:
1942 - Fort Campbell

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In recent decades, the size of Clarksville has doubled. Communities such as New Providence and Saint Bethlehem were annexed into the city, adding to the overall population. The creation of Interstate 24 north of Saint Bethlehem made the area prime for development, and today much of the growth along U.S. Highway 79 is commercial retail. In 1954, the Clarksville Memorial Hospital was founded along Madison Street. Downtown, the Lillian was renamed the Roxy Theater, and today it still hosts plays and performances weekly.

Related Topics:
New Providence - Saint Bethlehem - Interstate 24 - U.S. Highway 79 - 1954

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The Monkees 1966 classic #1 song Last Train to Clarksville was supposedly inspired by the city's train depot and about a soldier from Fort Campbell during the Vietnam War era, wanting to see his girlfriend one more time before deployment, fearing he may never come back home.

Related Topics:
Monkees - 1966 - Last Train to Clarksville - Vietnam War - Deployment

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On the morning of January 22, 1999, the downtown area of Clarksville was devastated by a F3 tornado, damaging many buildings including the county courthouse. The tornado, 880 yards wide, continued on a 4.3 mile-long path that took it up to Saint Bethlehem. No one was seriously injured in the destruction. Clarksville has since recovered, and has rebuilt much of the damage as a symbol of the city's resilience. Where one building on Franklin Street once stood has been replaced with a large mural of the historic buildings of Clarksville on the side of one that remained.

Related Topics:
January 22 - 1999 - Tornado - Mural

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History of The County Courthouse

The first county courthouse was built from logs in 1796 by James Adams. It sat close to the riverbank on the corner of what is now present-day Riverside Drive and Washington Street. It was later replaced by a second courthouse built in 1805, and a third in 1806, with the land provided by Henry Small. The fourth courthouse was built in 1811, and the first to be built of brick. It was constructed on the east half of Public Square, with the land donated by Martin Armstrong. In 1843, yet another courthouse was built, this time on Franklin Street. It would remain standing until the Great Fire of 1878.

Related Topics:
James Adams - 1805 - 1806 - Henry Small - 1811 - Brick - 1843

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The sixth and current courthouse was built between Second and Third Streets, with the cornerstone laid on May 16, 1879. This particular building was designed by George W. Bunting of Indianapolis, Indiana. Five years later, the downtown area was hit by a tornado, which damaged the roof of the courthouse. The building was rebuilt. On March 12, 1900, the building was again ravaged by fire, with the upper floors gutted and the clock tower destroyed. Many citizens wanted the courthouse torn down and replaced with a safer one, but the judge refused and repaired the damage.

Related Topics:
Cornerstone - May 16 - 1879 - George W. Bunting - Indianapolis, Indiana - March 12 - 1900

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The courthouse was destroyed once again by the January 22, 1999 tornado. The building of another new courthouse was on the minds of locals, but in the end the courthouse was fully restored as a county office building. On the fourth anniversary of the disaster the courthouse was rededicated. In addition to the restoration of the original courthouse and plazas, a new courts center was built on its north side.

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History of The City Newspaper

In 1808, The Clarksville Chronicle newspaper started publication. It was the first newspaper to be circulated in the entire state. Today, no editions exist earlier than 1811. Later, The Tobacco Leaf appeared as a result of the area's reputation as a center for tobacco growing and shipping. Early newspapers started out as four-page journals devoted to political news and advertising. Eventually they grew to become full-fledged publications that featured more news and community information, in addition to having opinion pages with political views. In 1890, The Clarksville Chronicle merged with The Tobacco Leaf, forming The Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle. In the 1970s, the city's name was dropped as the coverage area increased, shortening the title of the current newspaper to The Leaf-Chronicle.

Related Topics:
1808 - 1811 - Advertising - 1890 - 1970s

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Throughout the city's history, other newspapers such as The New Herald (an African-American newspaper), The Clarksville-Jeffersonian, and The Clarksville Star competed with The Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle, but they are all now defunct.

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In December, 1995, The Leaf-Chronicle became part of the Gannett Newspaper Division.

Related Topics:
December - 1995 - Gannett

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The offices of The Leaf-Chronicle were severely damaged in the January 22,1999 tornado however the paper was still released the following day, after publisher F. Gene Washer took editors and reporters into his home to gather news and use the Kentucky New Eras printing press in Hopkinsville. The Saturday edition of The Leaf Chronicle was a complete newspaper that featured eight pages of tornado coverage. Within four days the staff was able to print from the downtown newspaper press, only slightly damaged. The departments worked out of a empty grocery store for eight months, until the main offices were rebuilt and reopened in the fall of 1999.

Related Topics:
January 22 - 1999 - F. Gene Washer - Kentucky New Era - Printing press - Hopkinsville

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