Our History
History of Clarksville-Montgomery County
by Eleanor Williams, Montgomery County Historian
Long before the dawn of written history, humans inhabited the lands along the Cumberland and Red Rivers. Clarksville, the only station to become a city, was established in 1784 near the confluence of the two rivers.
The town was named for General George Rogers Clark, Indian fighter and Revolutionary War leader. In December 1785, North Carolina established Clarksville as a town. Despite frequent Indian attacks, the town survived and prospered.
In 1796 when Tennessee became the 16th state, Tennessee County, of which Clarksville was a part, was divided into Montgomery and Robertson Counties. 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 1800’s were progressive ones, chiefly devoted to the building of roads, railroads and bridges, and the establishment of churches and educational institutions. When the Civil War began in the 1860’s, the residents were forced to make a momentous decision concerning the loyalty of the Union. In June 1861, Montgomery County citizens cast 2631 votes for separation and 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, its 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.
Education became an important theme in the county with the establishment of the Rural Academy in 1806 on the present site of Austin Peay State University.
Military activity again would impact the county during World War II when the army established Camp Campbell in Montgomery County. Over 42,000 acres were purchased and in June 1942, relocation of facilities was completed. The post was named in honor of General William Bowen Campbell. On April 15, 1950, the post became Fort Campbell when it changed from a temporary installation to a permanent one.
Montgomery County furnished two governors to the state, William Blount and Austin Peay; a United States Supreme Court Justice and a Postmaster General, Horace Lurton and Cave Johnson, respectively. Clarksville has the distinction of being home to the oldest bank in the state, the Northern Bank established in 1854, now Regions Bank; the state’s oldest newspaper, The Leaf-Chronicle, established in 1808; and the first and only bank in the world established and operated entirely by women, the Women’s Bank of Tennessee that opened in 1919.
On January 22, 1999, at approximately 4:12 in the morning, an F4 tornado struck Clarksville, Tennessee. It destroyed much of historic downtown Clarksville, with an estimated cost of over $72 million and damaging 500 structures, many of them beyond repair. Despite the tremendous damage to property, there was no loss of life and only five injuries were reported.
Among the structures damaged were the historic courthouse and three historic churches; the Trinity Episcopal Church, Madison St. United Methodist Church, and St. Peter AME Church. Trinity Episcopal and Madison St. United Methodist Church resumed services in 2001 with St. Peter AME Church in November 1999. After much discussion, the exterior of the historic courthouse was restored while the interior was altered to accommodate existing codes. A Millennium Plaza was created around the courthouse and a Courts Center built to provide courtrooms and chambers for the judiciary. The Plaza was officially dedicated on January 22, 2003.
Today, Clarksville, county seat of Montgomery County, is Tennessee’s fifth largest city. This thriving community is home to Austin Peay State University, Dunbar Cave and Port Royal Natural Areas, Historic Collinsville, Fort Defiance, the Customs House Museum, the Roxy Theatre, and nearby Fort Campbell, to name a few of its attractions.
