First Courthouse Established ... Tennessee Awaits Statehood

First Courthouse Established ... Tennessee Awaits Statehood. Clarksville, located along the banks of the Cumberland River, was established by John Montgomery and Martin Armstrong in 1784, before Tennessee became a state. It was governed by the Clarksville Compact of 1784 and named for General George Rogers Clark, Revolutionary War hero. At that time, the area was part of Davidson County, North Carolina. In 1788, Davidson County was divided into two counties, and Clarksville became the county scat for the newly formed Tennessee County, North Carolina. Clarksville remained the county seat when North Carolina ceded Tennessee County to the "Territory South of the River Ohio" in 1790. In 1796, when Tennessee became the sixteenth state, the county relinquished its name to the entire state and divided into Montgomery County and Robertson County., The organization of the county was completed on April 20, 1789, when the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions of the new county met at the home of Isaac Titsworth near Port Royal. This court, composed of Chairman Francis Prince, Bazel Boren, John Phillips, Jacob Pennington, John Montgomery, Benjamin Hardin, George Bell and George Neville, elected the following officers: Barkley W. Pollock, Clerk; Joseph B. Neville, Sheriff; Benjamin Hardin, Register; John Phillips, Ranger; and Joseph Martin, Coroner. No tax collector was chosen at this time; however, in 1790, Joseph B. Neville was appointed tax collector. The July session met at the home of William Grimbs and all subsequent meetings were held in the town of Clarksville., In 1796, the State Legislature authorized Commissioners George Neville, Sr., Francis Prince, Hayden Wells, Robert Edmondson and Robert Dunning to construct a Courthouse, prison and stocks in Clarksville. James Adams contracted to build this first Courthouse on property adjoining his home (see 1811-1843, lot 13) on Spring Street between Main and Washington (now College Street). The job was completed within a year, according to the American Gazetteer of 1797 , "It (Clarksville) contains 30 houses, a Courthouse and gaol (jail).", The session of 1796 established a county tax with minimum fees: white poll, 12-1/2 cents; black poll, 25 cents; 100 acres of land, 12-1/2 cents; town lot, 25 cents; stud horse, $1.00. Such taxes collected by the sheriff were to be used to build the courthouse and other structures., This log Courthouse served until 1811 when the sale of the building and its removal from the square were authorized. In July 1812, the court ordered the sale of material of the former Courthouse "that was now in a state of decay.", Captions: , Left: The Cumberland River brought settlers to Middle Tennessee and with them flowed the structure of social order and government. As a typical frontier river town and county seat, a suitable courthouse was essential to its success. , Right: Montgomery County's first Courthouse was a wooden structure similar to this illustration.