CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – We know some of the great names of Clarksville’s past: Austin Peay, Wilma Rudolph, Robert Burt. But there are many more, and their contributions and back-stories are too often forgotten.
Some of them took considerable risks – making real sacrifices and unpopular decisions at the time – to achieve their goals. What they accomplished made Clarksville a better place far into the future.
In recognition of America’s 250th anniversary, here are 10 people who deserve to be remembered for making Clarksville what it is today.
1. John Montgomery, founder of Clarksville
What we now call Montgomery County was first explored by Europeans in 1775, starting mainly with John Montgomery. He returned in 1784, and, working with another settler named Martin Armstrong, chose 640 acres to build a town on the eastern side of the Cumberland River, just south of the Red River. The area had ample springs, plenty of game and fish, and was well above the flood zone. Montgomery named the town after a colleague, George Rogers Clark, the Revolutionary War leader…