Clarksville in Montgomery County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)
Roy Acuff
Dunbar Cave
Photographed By Darren Jefferson Clay, June 4, 2023
1. Dunbar Cave Marker
Inscription.
Roy Acuff, "The King of Country Music", is considered by many to be the father of the genre. Acuff and his band, the Smoky Mountain Boys, joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1938 and became one its most popular acts. They brought what was then known as "hillbilly music" into the mainstream. Acuff's popularity grew, and he even ran for governor of Tennessee in 1948. That same year, he planned to open a country music park near Nashville. He purchased the already popular Dunbar Cave resort and put his own spin on it. The 1,300 seat arena once stood in front of you and was the main venue of Roy Acuff's Dunbar Cave. Grand Ole Opry stars performed here on Sunday afternoons. Square dances were held in front of the cave on Tuesday and Friday nights with popular music dances on Saturdays., Captions , Lower Left: Wooden benches provided seating for 1,300. , Upper Right: The natural slope of the hillside allowed everyone to have a view of the stage. , Lower Right: Trees were left to provide shade.
Roy Acuff, "The King of Country Music", is considered by many to be the father of the genre. Acuff and his band, the Smoky Mountain Boys, joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1938 and became one its most popular acts. They brought what was then known as "hillbilly music" into the mainstream. Acuff's popularity grew, and he even ran for governor of Tennessee in 1948. That same year, he planned to open a country music park near Nashville. He purchased the already popular Dunbar Cave resort and put his own spin on it. The 1,300 seat arena once stood in front of you and was the main venue of Roy Acuff's Dunbar Cave. Grand Ole Opry stars performed here on Sunday afternoons. Square dances were held in front of the cave on Tuesday and Friday nights with popular music dances on Saturdays.
Captions Lower Left: Wooden benches provided seating for 1,300. Upper Right: The natural slope of the hillside allowed everyone to have a view of the stage. Lower Right: Trees were left to provide shade.
N, 87° 18.266′ W. Marker is in Clarksville, Tennessee, in Montgomery County. Marker can be reached from the intersection of Old Dunbar Cave Road and Dunbar Cave Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 401 Old Dunbar Cave Rd, Clarksville TN 37043, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Photographed By Darren Jefferson Clay, June 4, 2023
2. Dunbar Cave Marker
Marker is on the right side of the photo. Marker can be accessed after crossing the bridge across Swan Lake or by walking the trail from the area near the cave.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 10, 2023. It was originally submitted on June 6, 2023, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. This page has been viewed 74 times since then and 18 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on June 8, 2023, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. • James Hulse was the editor who published this page.
