What’s the deal with that pink elephant? Why is it called Boot Hill? Where’s the train station mentioned in “Last Train to Clarksville”? We know you have questions, and so did we!
1. That pink elephant has a name
Carlotta the Pink Elephant on Providence Boulevard, at The Car Market. (Jeff Matthews, Clarksville Now)
You may have seen the pink elephant with horn-rimmed glasses on Providence Boulevard, but did you know she has a name?
She landed in Clarksville thanks to Curtis Johnson, now a retired representative in the Tennessee General Assembly. When Johnson opened his first car lot on Fort Campbell Boulevard about 40 years ago, he was sold the huge, pink, fiberglass elephant by a man hauling it through town, according to The Leaf-Chronicle archives. The elephant drew a lot of attention, and Johnson held a contest to give it a name. The winner? “Carlotta”. Over the years, Carlotta has appeared in several local parades, but she’s now too old to move around and has a permanent home at The Car Market, 911 Providence Blvd.
2. ‘Last Train to Clarksville’ isn’t about Clarksville
A copy of The Monkees Greatest Hits, which of course includes their debut single “Last Train to Clarksville.”…