Clarksville
Tennessee
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Montgomery County Historical Society
Mission:
To promote interest in and enjoyment of the history of Montgomery County, Tennessee.
To Ascertain, preserve and promote local history.
To identify historic sites and structures and promote their preservation.
To hold periodic meetings of a stimulating nature in keeping with the interests of the society.
History:
Long before the dawn of written history, humans inhabited the lands along the Cumberland and Red Rivers. In successive order the Paleo-Indian, the Archaic, the Woodland and the Mississippian Indians have left evidence of their occupancy in this area. Knowledge of the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers led to the historic journey of John Donelson with his flotilla of flatboats and an excerpt from Donelson's journal notes that on 12 April of 1780, Moses Renfroe and company took leave of the main party, ascended the Red River and made a short-lived settlement upstream.
By the early 1780s, three principal stations were in the Cumberland Red River area: Prince's Station, established in 1782, near Sulphur Fork and Red River; Neville's Station founded circa 1784 between Prince's Station and Clarksville; and Clarksville, the only station to become a city, established in 1784 near the confluence of the Cumberland and Red Rivers. In January 1784, John Montgomery and Martin Armstrong surveyed the present site of Clarksville and proceeded to sell lots. The town was named for General George Rogers Clark, Indian fighter and Revolutionary War leader. On 29 December 1785, North Carolina established Clarksville as a town. Despite frequent Indian attacks, the town survived and prospered as early settlers attempted to recreate and perpetuate the culture of their former homes in their new environment.
In 1796 when Tennessee became the 16th state, Tennessee County of which Clarksville was a part, was divided into Montgomery and Robertson counties with Clarksville the county seat of Montgomery County. The name Montgomery honored John Montgomery, who was a founder of Clarksville as well as a renowned Indian fighter and Revolutionary War leader.
The early years of the nineteenth century were progressive ones, chiefly devoted to the building of roads, railroads and bridges and the establishment of churches and educational institutions. The outbreak of the Civil War in the 1860s forced residents to declare their loyalty to the Union or the Confederacy. On 8 June 1861, citizens of Montgomery County cast 2,631 votes for secession and only 33 against. Fort Donelson, Fort Henry and Fort Defiance were established in preparation of the Union advance, only to fall to Federal troops in 1862.
After the Civil War, traffic on the Cumberland River continued to be of great importance to the community and Clarksville became well known for its production of dark fired tobacco, the primary money crop. From 1900 to 1940, Clarksville's trade and business progressed with the growth of the town being closely connected to the county farming area.
To promote interest in and enjoyment of the history of Montgomery County, Tennessee.
To Ascertain, preserve and promote local history.
To identify historic sites and structures and promote their preservation.
To hold periodic meetings of a stimulating nature in keeping with the interests of the society.
History:
Long before the dawn of written history, humans inhabited the lands along the Cumberland and Red Rivers. In successive order the Paleo-Indian, the Archaic, the Woodland and the Mississippian Indians have left evidence of their occupancy in this area. Knowledge of the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers led to the historic journey of John Donelson with his flotilla of flatboats and an excerpt from Donelson's journal notes that on 12 April of 1780, Moses Renfroe and company took leave of the main party, ascended the Red River and made a short-lived settlement upstream.
By the early 1780s, three principal stations were in the Cumberland Red River area: Prince's Station, established in 1782, near Sulphur Fork and Red River; Neville's Station founded circa 1784 between Prince's Station and Clarksville; and Clarksville, the only station to become a city, established in 1784 near the confluence of the Cumberland and Red Rivers. In January 1784, John Montgomery and Martin Armstrong surveyed the present site of Clarksville and proceeded to sell lots. The town was named for General George Rogers Clark, Indian fighter and Revolutionary War leader. On 29 December 1785, North Carolina established Clarksville as a town. Despite frequent Indian attacks, the town survived and prospered as early settlers attempted to recreate and perpetuate the culture of their former homes in their new environment.
In 1796 when Tennessee became the 16th state, Tennessee County of which Clarksville was a part, was divided into Montgomery and Robertson counties with Clarksville the county seat of Montgomery County. The name Montgomery honored John Montgomery, who was a founder of Clarksville as well as a renowned Indian fighter and Revolutionary War leader.
The early years of the nineteenth century were progressive ones, chiefly devoted to the building of roads, railroads and bridges and the establishment of churches and educational institutions. The outbreak of the Civil War in the 1860s forced residents to declare their loyalty to the Union or the Confederacy. On 8 June 1861, citizens of Montgomery County cast 2,631 votes for secession and only 33 against. Fort Donelson, Fort Henry and Fort Defiance were established in preparation of the Union advance, only to fall to Federal troops in 1862.
After the Civil War, traffic on the Cumberland River continued to be of great importance to the community and Clarksville became well known for its production of dark fired tobacco, the primary money crop. From 1900 to 1940, Clarksville's trade and business progressed with the growth of the town being closely connected to the county farming area.