Clarksville in Montgomery County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)

Clarksville's Slave Market

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, September 4, 2022

1. Clarksville's Slave Market Marker

Inscription. Prior to the Civil War, kept in a pen located on this corner, enslaved people waited to be sold at auction at the county courthouse. Prior to the fire of 1878, the courthouse stood on the north side of Franklin Street between 1st and 2nd. Enslavers also sold many of the people enslaved at the Market House located in the middle of the Public Square. In 1860, the enslaved population constituted almost half of the people living in Montgomery County. Clarksville's tobacco industry especially profited from enslaved labor.

Erected 2022 by Tennessee Historical Commission. (Marker Number 3C-89.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Industry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the Tennessee Historical Commission series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1860.

Location. 36° 31.659′ N, 87° 21.526′ W. Marker is in Clarksville, Tennessee, in Montgomery County. It is at the intersection of North 2nd Street and Franklin Street, on the right when traveling south on North 2nd Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 139 Franklin St, Clarksville TN 37040, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Middle Tennessee

and in the Highland Rim.

It is also in the American South

and specifically in the Upper South.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Legion Street (within shouting distance of this marker); 1971

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(within shouting distance of this marker); 2017 (within shouting distance of this marker); Nature's Fury / Water ... Always a Powerful Presence (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Grand Judicial Building Constructed ... Citizens Celebrate (about 300 feet away); Disaster Strikes Again ... Courthouse Rises from Ashes (about 300 feet away); 1999 (about 300 feet away); Blaze Consumes 15 Acres ... Downtown & Courthouse Destroyed (about 300 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Clarksville.

Additional keywords. human trafficking

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, September 4, 2022

2. Clarksville's Slave Market Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on February 15, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 4, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 2,797 times since then and 252 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 4, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.