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Clarksville TN Area Guide

Clarksville is the fifth largest city in the state of Tennessee and is the county seat of Montgomery County. As of the 2000 census, Clarksville had a population of 103,455. The city was incorporated in 1785, and was named for General George Rogers Clark, frontier fighter and Revolutionary War hero, brother of William Clark of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The city's nicknames include "The Queen City" or "Queen of the Cumberland" and "Gateway to the New South". The slogan "Tennessee's Top Spot" was introduced as a new city "brand" in April 2008. Clarksville is neighbor to the Fort Campbell, Kentucky, United States Army post, which is located approximately 10 miles from downtown Clarksville, straddling the Tennessee-Kentucky state line.

Clarksville History

(The following information was directly sourced from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarksville,_Tennessee.)
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 the years between 1771 and 1775, John Montgomery, the namesake of the county, along with Kasper 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.

In 1779, James Robertson brought a group of settlers from upper East Tennessee via Daniel Boone's "Wilderness Road". Robertson would later build an 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 French trading settlement, French Lick (or Big Lick), 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.

Clarksville was designated as a town to be settled in part by soldiers from the disbanded Continental Army that served under General George Washington during the American Revolutionary War. At the end of the war, the federal government lacked sufficient funds to repay the soldiers, so the Legislature of North Carolina , in 1790, designated the lands to the west of the state line as federal lands that could be used in the land grant program. Since the area of Clarksville had been surveyed and sectioned into plots, it was identified as a territory deemed ready for settlement. The land was available to be settled by the families of eligible soldiers as repayment of service to their country.

The development and culture of Clarksville has had an ongoing interdependence between the citizens of Clarksville and the military. The formation of the city is associated with the end of the American Revolutionary War. During the American Civil War a large percent of the male population was depleted due to Union Army victories at Fort Henry and Fort Donelson. Many Clarksville men were interned at Union prisoner of war (POW) camps. Clarksville also lost many native sons during World War I (WWI). With the formation of Camp Campbell, later Fort Campbell, during World War II (WWII), the bonds of military influence were strengthened. Soldiers from Fort Campbell, Kentucky have deployed in every military campaign since the formation of the post.

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.
When Tennessee was founded as a state on June 1, 1796, the area around Clarksville and to the east was named Tennessee County. (This county was established in 1788, by North Carolina.) 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.

As time progressed into the 19th century, Clarksville grew at a rapid pace. By 1806, the town realized the need for an 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 and Louisville Railroad. The line would later connect with other railroads at Paris, Tennessee and Guthrie, Kentucky.

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 shanties.
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.

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 (16 km) northwest of the city, and capable of holding 23,000 troops, gave an immediate boost to the population and economy of Clarksville.
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.

The Roxy has been used as a backdrop for numerous photo shoots, films, documentaries, music videos and television commercials; most notably for Sheryl Crow's Grammy-award winning song All I Wanna Do, which was shot in front of the Roxy in downtown Clarksville.
It has been suggested that the Monkees' 1966 #1 song "Last Train to Clarksville" was inspired by the city's train depot.
On the morning of January 22, 1999, the downtown area of Clarksville was devastated by an F3 tornado, damaging many buildings including the county courthouse. The tornado, 880 yards (800 m) wide, continued on a 4.3-mile (6.9 km)-long path that took it up to Saint Bethlehem. No one was seriously injured or killed 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.

Clarksville has the distinction of being home to the oldest bank in the state, the Northern Bank established in 1854, now AmSouth Bank; the state's oldest newspaper, The Leaf-Chronicle, established in 1808; and the only bank in the world established and operated entirely by women, the Women's Bank of Tennessee that opened in 1919.

Clarksville Parks and Recreation

(The following information on Clarksville’s Parks and Recreations was directly sourced from the following link: http://www.clarksville.tn.us/wps-html/AboutClarksville/Recreation/.)

Clarksville has a wide base of recreational venues that satisfy many sports enthusiasts' needs. Heritage Park, one of the state's top soccer sites, has eight fields and is host to several statewide and regional soccer tournaments. The complex is the site for recreational league play, as well as a number of area tournaments.

Clarksville offers 25 parks and five community centers for recreational opportunities. The city also provides five community pools and several recreational sports leagues.
Special Programs and events are coordinated during the year for all ages. The Summer Program is just one of the programs offered by the department. A six-week program that provides safe and entertaining recreational activities for all ages 6-16, the Summer Program is free and is hosted at 13 sites around the area.

Water sports are abundant in Clarksville and Montgomery County. Whether you enjoy water skiing, jet skiing, fishing or just cruising the river, the area offers a beautiful setting for fun in the sun. The area's Cumberland River was named one of the top catfishing spots in the U.S. by Field & Stream.

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Clarksville Events and Attractions

(The following descriptions of Clarksville’s events and attractions below were directly sourced from the website linked to them. To learn more about any of these events and attractions, please click the blue links provided under each event/attractions’ name.)

Downtown Market

The Market will be open on Saturdays at One Public Square from 8:00am to 1:00pm each Saturday during market season. The Market will feature fresh, locally grown produce, nursery stock, hand-made craft items and other commodities available on a seasonal basis.

The Parks After Dark Series

Looking for fun, inexpensive ways to beat the summertime blues? Look no further than The City of Clarksville’s “Parks After Dark” summer entertainment series. Each month we host “Movies in the Park” at Heritage Park and “Concerts in the Park” at McGregor Park. Also, be on the lookout for our highly anticipated “Theatre in the Park” to be held later this summer at McGregor Park.
Parks After Dark is fun for the whole family. Guests are more than welcome to bring lawn chairs, blankets, and picnic baskets.

Riverfest

Riverfest celebrates the river heritage of Clarksville, Tennessee. The FREE festival offers a variety of musical and visual art entertainment, delicious food, inflatables for kids of all ages and lots of river related activities such as the Riverfest Regatta, Lighted Boat Parade and wakeboard demonstrations all set along the banks of the beautiful Cumberland River.

Queen City Road Race

Click the link for info

Jammin’ in the Alley

Every third Friday from May through October Strawberry Alley will come alive from 6- 9p.m. with the sights, smells and sounds of summer. Free concerts, outdoor dining, shopping and just lazing around will be the recipe for enjoyment as residents mingle, eat, dance and enjoy music.

Cumberland RiverWalk

Stroll the meandering Cumberland RiverWalk, the city's signature riverfront promenade. The internationally acclaimed RiverWalk is the centerpiece of the River Distict and includes an amphitheater, overlook plazas, a playground, picnic facilities, wharf, boat ramp, pedestrian overpass, and performance stages.

Beachaven Vineyards & Winery

Visit Beachaven Winery and enjoy free tours and tastings at one of Tennessee's foremost commercial wineries. Known for producing award-winning wines and champagnes, Beachaven provides a glimpse into the centuries-old art of wine making. A picturesque Tudor-style building, on-site vineyards, distinctive gift items, and a shaded picnic area make Beachaven a delightful and memorable destination.

Dunbar Cave

Dunbar Cave State Natural Area is open every day from 8 a.m. until sunset. Periodic programs are conducted by the park staff, along with guided tours of the cave and slide shows. The park also offers picnic tables, hiking trails, and fishing.

Roxy Regional Theatre

The Roxy Regional Theatre, Clarksville's oldest professional theatre, offers patrons a combination of professional company shows (performed by actors from throughout the country) and community offerings. Housed in a 1947 odern-art theatre, the Roxy produces 10 mainstage events annually. The Roxy's "Other Space" produces four new scripts a year in it's 40-seat black-box theatre.