The Dunbar Cave and Idaho Springs Corporation was one of many commercial ventures to operate at the cave and mineral springs. They purchased the resort in 1932 and then completed several upgrades. They modernized the Idaho Springs Hotel, doubled . . . — — Map (db m225263) HM
Montgomery County's historic Courthouse, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was severely damaged on January 22, 1999 by an F4 tornado that struck much of downtown Clarksville. More than 500 buildings were left in ruins and . . . — — Map (db m188824) HM
A little distance from these barracks is a Negro village [Affricanna Town]. Those that are able to procure their own lumber are permitted to put up their own houses with little garden lots. The best class of negroes do this. Most of . . . — — Map (db m205379) HM
Following emancipation in Tennessee, freed people from surrounding areas took refuge inside U.S. military lines at Clarksville. Exercising their newfound freedom, they built a free, Black village near Dunbar Cave. A former enslaver called the . . . — — Map (db m205376) HM
Originally known as the Rexinger House, Archwood was built in 1878 by Samuel Rexinger, a former postmaster of Clarksville (1867-1883). In 1965, the private residence was sold to the State of Tennessee and became the property of Austin Peay State . . . — — Map (db m88872) HM
The Arlington Hotel, a three story brick building built in 1887, once occupied the northeast corner of this parking garage, fronting on North Second Street. Streetcars passed this modern hotel every fifteen minutes and porters from the Arlington, as . . . — — Map (db m122973) HM
Asahel Huntington Patch
1825-1909
A. H. Patch, born Nov 18, 1825, spent his early
years on a rugged Massachusetts farm. Shelling
by hand the flinty corn that grew in that area
prompted the boy to dream of inventing a small
sheller that . . . — — Map (db m165986) HM
Born near Hopkinsville, Kentucky, on June 1, 1876, he moved to Clarksville in 1896. Governor Peay practiced law here until he was elected governor in 1922. He was re-elected in 1924 and again in 1926 and served until he died in Nashville on October . . . — — Map (db m88860) HM
Established in 1926 as a normal school named for one of Tennessee's governors, its present title dates from 1966. The seven educational institutions preceding it here were: Rural Academy, 1806-10; Mt. Pleasant Academy, 1811-24; Clarksville Academy, . . . — — Map (db m88880) HM
In 1878 Montgomery County erected two schools on Franklin Street. One was the "colored elementary school," which opened a year later and taught grades one through eleven until 1922. In that year the county constructed Burt High School on adjacent . . . — — Map (db m145322) HM
In mid-August 1862, Confederate cavalry recaptured Clarksville to disrupt Union transportation
on the Cumberland River to Nashville and to gather new recruits and supplies. Early in September, Union Col. William W. Lowe led 1,100 men including . . . — — Map (db m68651) HM
In 1812 pioneer preachers Peter Cartwright, Henry B. Bascom, and Thomas A. Morris preached to area settlers in a log structure at this site. Tradition has it that the Bell Witch attended a service here and at a meeting later that night quoted the . . . — — Map (db m103548) HM
On January 4, 1841, Commissioners John H. Poston, G. A. Henry, H. F. Beaumont, James McClure, James Reasons, Joseph Johnson, and Thomas W. Frazier were authorized to purchase a lot and contract for the building of the county's third Courthouse. On . . . — — Map (db m169079) HM
The Confederates
The Confederate Engineers
Major Jeremy Gilmer and Edward Sayers
A West Point-trained engineer from South
Carolina, Gilmer was tasked by General
Johnston to erect defenses in . . . — — Map (db m91998) HM
Throughout history forts have been
built to protect important sites. Civil
War-era forts were generally masonry
for seacoast fortifications. Earthen
forts were predominant at inland
locations, including Forts Donelson
and Sevier . . . — — Map (db m92015) HM
Burt High School, an African American school, opened in 1923 on E. Franklin Street. It was named for Dr. Robert T. Burt, an African American physician and influential resident who established Clarksville's first hospital. A new school was built on . . . — — Map (db m146025) HM
Established in 1906 by Dr. Robert T. Burt for African-Americans but open to all races, it was Clarksville's first and only hospital until 1916. Burt, born of ex-slave parents in 1873, died in 1955. He was a graduate of Meharry Medical College, . . . — — Map (db m136752) HM
Cave Johnson served as a member of the first board of alderman of Clarksville which was incorporated in 1820. As a U.S. Representative from the state's Eighth District, he served in the Congress from 1829 to 1845. In 1845, under President James . . . — — Map (db m88856) HM
Banjoist Charlie Cushman is chiefly renowned for his mastery of the Earl Scruggs style three-finger banjo technique. During his career, he has performed with Andy Griffith, Merle Haggard, Ricky Skaggs and Vince Gill, among many others. He is a . . . — — Map (db m169085) HM
Dr. Clarence Cameron White, born in Clarksville, Tennessee, rose to international prominence as a violinist, composer, educator and conductor. He studied composition with Samuel Coleridge-Taylor and violin with Michael Zacherewitsch. White taught at . . . — — Map (db m174603) HM
Clarksville, a communication and transportation center was strategically significant because of the Cumberland River and the Memphis, Clarksville and Louisville Railroad. The areas rich agricultural produce—grain, livestock, tobacco, and . . . — — Map (db m68639) HM
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 . . . — — Map (db m205396) HM
is listed by the
Tennessee
Historical Commission
and the
National Register
of Historic Places
by the United States
Department of the Interior
November 27, 1927 — — Map (db m179486) HM
Yet again history was repeated when fire damaged the County's Courthouse on March 12, 1900. The upper floor of the 1879 building was destroyed and fell through to the first floor. The fire was believed to have started in the southeast section of the . . . — — Map (db m169084) HM
The Spur Line Park was conceived to preserve and enhance
a portion of a historic area within the city and interpret its unique
connection with rail and water transportation. The development of
railroad and river commerce was essential to . . . — — Map (db m122959) HM
The Drane-Foust House, built on this spot circa
1895, was an architecturally significant residence
that featured a transitional design between the
Queen Anne and Colonial Revival styles of that era.
The two-story weatherboarded house contained . . . — — Map (db m165995) HM
From 1785 until 1864, more than one hundred African Americans were enslaved at the plantation that included Dunbar Cave. For these people, Dunbar Cave was a place of work. Hogs were often slaughtered at the mouth of the cave, and the meat stored . . . — — Map (db m205377) HM
Whether it is a name we are given, or one we choose for ourselves, names are one of the important parts of human identity. Below are the names of enslaved people on the plantation that included Dunbar Cave. As you read their names, think about their . . . — — Map (db m205380) HM
Dunbar Cave was a popular resort for many years prior to becoming a state park. Beginning in 1875, investors created opportunities to stay at Dunbar Cave and the nearby Idaho Springs. People were attracted by the perceived medicinal qualities of the . . . — — Map (db m213648) HM
Dunbar Cave was once a "show cave, used for entertainment such as music and dancing, and the subject of many local postcards. natural air conditioning was provided by cool air flowing out of the cave.
Captions A wooden "dancing . . . — — Map (db m225267) HM
The first part of the cave has light, temperature differences, and some protection from weather. As you look into the cave, you see the twilight zone, with less light and temperature change. Many plants and animals live in or visit the entrance and . . . — — Map (db m225274) HM
Photo Captions
Upper Left: Wooden dance floor with seating early 1900's. In the 1880's, grain was spread on the floor for "bran dances", and social activities such as teas and bridge games took place in the cool cave entrance. Sick . . . — — Map (db m225273) HM
Originally a small stream came out of the cave. It was dammed in 1926 to make "Swan Lake", which was enlarged in 1933.
Human activities on the surface such as building and farming deposit silt in the lake, making it shallow and allowing plants . . . — — Map (db m225275) HM
Here was the home of Gustavus Henry (1804-1880). For three years a member of the Kentucky Legislature, he later served a term in the Tennessee Assembly. He represented Tennessee in the Senate of the Confederate States of America during the entire . . . — — Map (db m54963) HM
This stone commemorates
First Court House
A rude log house on Public Square
1788 - 1811
The Old Stockade
Southwest from this point — — Map (db m68640) HM
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 . . . — — Map (db m169076) HM
These are the remnants of Union Fort Bruce.
In September 1861, the Confederate defense line
in the western theatre extended from Columbus
Kentucky, to Cumberland Gap in East Tennessee.
It included most of the Cumberland River and
protected the . . . — — Map (db m91997) HM
An earthworks fort hastily erected by confederate forces in the winter of 1861-62. Fort Defiance surrendered to Union gunboats in Feb. 1862. Renamed Fort Bruce and continually manned by federal forces from Oct. 1862 to Sept. 1865, the fort was . . . — — Map (db m173081) HM
The history of Clarksville unfolded on this site. Recipients of land grants
from the American Revolution built settlements along the
Cumberland and Red Rivers and with them, came early trade.
As the Civil War moved closer, Clarksville, with its . . . — — Map (db m92027) HM
The Confederate response to Union
gunboats on the western rivers was to
build a series of forts. The better forts
were built on higher ground allowing for
"plunging fire" upon Union ships. Forts
Sevier, Clark, and Terry in Clarksville
were . . . — — Map (db m92018) HM
Frank Spencer Sutton
October 23, 1923 - June 28, 1974
Actor, Veteran, Patriot
Most noted for his role as Gunnery Sergeant Vince Carter in the
mid-1960s television series, "Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C."
This statue was made possible . . . — — Map (db m192622) HM
Upon the surrender of Clarksville to Union forces in 1862, freed slaves from the surrounding area encamped near Fort Defiance seeking the protection of Union Soldiers. After the war, the Freedmen began their own community in the area near the . . . — — Map (db m173090) HM
Wars generate refugees, and the Civil War
was no exception. After Union forces
took control of Clarksville
and New Providence in early 1863 many
escaped slaves and a few uprooted white
Unionists came here for protection and
assistance. They . . . — — Map (db m92026) HM
(north side):
Pillar of Cloud - Pillar of Fire
Gregg Schlanger 2004
(south side):
Dedicated to those patriots who lit the flame of freedom with their lives and to those who continue to fuel the flame with selfless . . . — — Map (db m188825) WM
The present day Courthouse, the county's fourth, was designed by G. W. Bunting of Indianapolis; however, C. G. Rosenplanter was appointed supervising architect soon after the plan was adopted. It was he who supervised the work to completion by the . . . — — Map (db m169080) HM
Horace H. Lurton was a Confederate soldier, prisoner of war, lawyer, and the first president of the Farmers and Merchants National Bank. A member of the Tennessee Supreme Court, in 1893 he became its Chief Justice. Appointed by President Grover . . . — — Map (db m88881) HM
First settler of Clarksville Tenn.
and his four sons
three of whom were killed in 1792
and one in 1794 by the Indians
and to other pioneers
of this county
who lost their lives in this manner. — — Map (db m122965) HM
This marker is to honor the thousands of Odd Fellows and Rebekahs of Tennessee (past and present) who have supported the Odd Fellows Home of Tennessee (1898-1948) and this cemetery, established in 1898. It also honors the hundreds of boys and girls . . . — — Map (db m205400) HM
The most gifted instrumentalist of all time an influence on guitarists everywhere -- a psychedelic rock pioneer whose work and approach touches all styles of music. (The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame)
Although Hendrix vaulted to stardom in England . . . — — Map (db m212753) HM
This statue honors John Montgomery, for whom Montgomery County is named. While on a long hunters' expedition, Montgomery claimed Clarksville, Tennessees second oldest city, so named for Gen. George Rogers Clark — — Map (db m82304) HM
Born on May 29, 1831, in Montgomery County, Joseph Buckner Killebrew was an ardent advocate for extending public education, encouraging immigration to the South, developing natural resources for industrialization and improving agriculture, all of . . . — — Map (db m145132) HM
This private bank was founded in a brick building on the west side of the Public Square in April 1854, and shortly thereafter incorporated as the Northern Bank of Tennessee. During the War Between the States its funds and securities were smuggled to . . . — — Map (db m88868) HM
On May 6, 1825, General Lafayette was welcomed in Clarksville as he descended the Cumberland River aboard the steamboat Mechanic. — — Map (db m205397) HM
In the early 1920's, the area from Public Square to Second Street known as Strawberry Alley, was widened and extended to Third Street and the area designated Legion Street to honor the veterans of World War I. In 2008, under the leadership of Mayor . . . — — Map (db m103549) HM WM
It has often been said of the Civil War
soldier that life consisted of moments of
sheer terror followed by months
of sheer boredom. For the garrisoned
soldier, it tended more towards boredom.
For many Union garrisons occupying
Clarksville, . . . — — Map (db m92021) HM
The Montgomery County Courthouse was erected in 1878-79 after fire destroyed the courthouse of 1843. In 1900 the courthouse was damaged by fire but was rebuilt. In 1999 an F3 tornado struck Clarksville, severely damaging the courthouse. The interior . . . — — Map (db m88866) HM
In honor of
Montgomery County's Soldiers
and Sailors, World War
1917-1918
World War I Doughboy
Dedicated June 9, 1929
Restored and re-dedicated by the City of Clarksville, April 15, 2010
To those who fell and those who served: . . . — — Map (db m106096) WM
Nancy Wells Morrison's marker, similiar to Josiah's
stood here until the 1930's; a picture taken at the
time of Clarksville's Sesquicentennial shows
broken stone piled up behind Josiah's. In tribute
to Nancy, a strong Methodist, and her . . . — — Map (db m164935) HM
Native Americans at various times over 12,000 years lived in Dunbar Cave, used it for storage, mined minerals from it, or entered it on a spiritual journey. Artifacts found during an archaeological dig here in 1978 and cave art tell us how it was . . . — — Map (db m225271) HM
From its beginning, Clarksville has been plagued with destructive fires. In the early 1830s, the city ordered the delivery of four 35-foot ladders and a fire cistern on Public Square. Each building owner on Public Square was required to equip their . . . — — Map (db m169068) HM
Since its founding in 1784, along the banks of the Cumberland and Red Rivers,
Clarksville has always been subject to major natural disasters. However, the community
has always managed to pull together and respond with determination. Throughout . . . — — Map (db m169087) HM
Andrea Lugar, sculptor Bronze casting by Lugar Foundry
Dedicated April 19, 2007 with appreciation to the following contributors:
Rivers and Spires Festival The Gannett Foundation The Leaf-Chronicle The Network Montgomery County . . . — — Map (db m169067) HM
Located at Oak Grove, midway between Clarksville and Hopkinsville, Kentucky, the Old Post Office served as a stop for the triweekly stagecoaches which operated between Nashville and the Ohio River towns. This building was erected in the 1830's or . . . — — Map (db m76463) HM
First launched as a weekly under the name of The Chronicle by Francis Richardson in 1808, it merged with its younger rival, The Tobacco Leaf, at an unknown later date. It is believed to be middle Tennessee's oldest newspaper. — — Map (db m89078) HM
On August 18, 1862, Union-occupied Clarksville came under attack from Confederate forces to disrupt river traffic. The town was still very much a pro-Confederate hotbed of guerilla activity and the focus of Confederate cavalry raids. Confederate . . . — — Map (db m68636) HM
One and a half miles north was the home of Reuben Ross, who came to Montgomery County in 1807. By 1808 he was leading numerous Baptist churches in middle Tennessee and southern Kentucky. Contributing significantly to the settlement of the area, . . . — — Map (db m146184) HM
Men of all American wars are interred here on land once owned by Valentine Sevier (1747-1800), who was the first person buried here. Many pioneers and 19th century citizens, including Revolutionary War soldier Robert Nelson, are buried here. One . . . — — Map (db m76512) HM
Born in Richmond, Virginia, Newman moved with his family to Clarksville when he was eleven. He studied art in New York, England, and France. Nationally recognized for his work, over 190 of his paintings have been located. Newman served as a . . . — — Map (db m88871) HM
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 . . . — — Map (db m225279) HM
The site of this historic stone structure, in addition to nearby Fort Defiance and a large portion of present-day New Providence, encompasses a 640-acre Revolutionary land grant purchased by early Tennessee settler Valentine Sevier. Sevier founded a . . . — — Map (db m89075) HM
This mansion was built by Christopher H. Smith noted tobacco exporter and businessman. The home reflects the style between Greek Revival and Italianate popular in the 1850's. It is believed that architect Adolphus Heiman designed the building. The . . . — — Map (db m76510) HM
Founded by the Tennessee Freedman's Bureau. St. John Missionary Baptist Church was established in 1866 on the corner of Ford and St. John Street in a small house with a small congregation of formerly enslaved persons. Its first pastor, Henry Wilcox, . . . — — Map (db m104735) HM
Born May 7, 1911 in Clarksville, Tennessee, and reared on Cedar Street, Steve Enloe Wylie, attended segregated Burt School for both his primary and secondary education. While attending school, he played semi-pro baseball for the Clarksville Stars . . . — — Map (db m148358) HM
In the mid-afternoon of February 19, 1862, Flag Officer Andrew H. Foote, aboard his flagship, the timber-clad gunship USS Conestoga, passed Linwood Landing around the bend of the Cumberland River a mile and a half north of here. The ironclad . . . — — Map (db m68648) HM
Dunbar Cave is a blowing cave with a constant internal temperature of 56 degrees. In the days before air conditioning, the cave entrance provided a refuge during the hot and humid Tennessee summers. The first mention of a dance at the cave occurred . . . — — Map (db m225266) HM
Thomas Dunbar and his family arrived on this land in 1784 during a time of immense land speculation and fraud. He purchased 500 acres including the cave but was never given legal title to the land. Meanwhile, he built a home and farmed the land for . . . — — Map (db m225280) HM
The Cunningham Bridge, completed in 1925, once spanned the Cumberland River here. Erected on the site of the old Gaiser's Ferry. It was one of the first bridges to be built by the newly-formed Tennessee Highway Department and was the first major . . . — — Map (db m30746) HM
The Montgomery County Negro Agricultural Fair Montgomery County African Americans held an annual agricultural fair in Clarksville from 1948 to 1962. The fair showcased achievement in agriculture, home economics, wood crafts, art, and foodways. . . . — — Map (db m205338) HM
Indigenous Agriculture
The wetlands and lake in front of you today was once a rich bottomland, filled with nutrient rich soil. Hundreds of years ago, this land was used by Mississippian people to grow their crops. By the 12th century C.E. most . . . — — Map (db m225278) HM
In the 1780s, the first land grant of 640 acres was made for this area north of the Red River. The stretch of the Cumberland River from Red River Landing to Trice's Landing played a crucial role in the region's economic development. Local farmers . . . — — Map (db m122970) HM
The Town of Cumberland (1810-1843) was sited at the, confluence of the Cumberland and Red Rivers as a projected river port for farming communities north of the Red River. It began as a keelboat landing slightly up the Red River to serve the original . . . — — Map (db m122968) HM
A new Courthouse of greater size was necessary to meet the demands of a growing community. In 1805 Martin Armstrong deeded a town lot at the north end of the Public Square (lot 60) to commissioners Hayden Wells, Robert Dunning, George . . . — — Map (db m169078) HM
This is the site of the town spring that was the source of water for early Clarksville. In 1784 the city founders erected a fort and laid out the town. Later, the spring was capped and diverted to the Cumberland River. It was uncapped briefly during . . . — — Map (db m76464) HM
Trinity Parish Church, founded in 1832, is one of the five oldest Episcopal parishes in Tennessee. This Romanesque building was completed in 1877, at a cost of $40,000. Cave Johnson (1793-1866), U.S. Postmaster General; Gustavus A. Henry . . . — — Map (db m88870) HM
Two hundred yards south is the stone blockhouse of the Valentine Sevier Station. On November 11, 1794, this early outpost was attacked by an Indian band composed primarily of Cherokees. Valentine Sevier, a brother of Tennessee's first governor, lost . . . — — Map (db m88857) HM
Col. Valentine Sevier, defender of the early
settlers of this community, on July 11, 1792
purchased from George Cook, for the sum of
100 pounds, 640 acres, lying between this
point and Cumberland and Red Rivers,
known as Red Paint . . . — — Map (db m89073) HM
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