CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – It’s easy for current residents to think Clarksville is all about Fort Campbell, Wilma Rudolph Boulevard and “Let’s Go Peay!” But who we are now is an outcome of so much more than that, and our identity as a city has shifted in significant ways over the last two centuries.
Two centuries? Yes, 242 years, actually. The Montgomery County area was first explored by Europeans in 1775, starting with John Montgomery. He helped establish the town of Clarksville in 1784, a full 12 years before Tennessee was even granted statehood.
In recognition of America’s 250th anniversary, here are 10 pivotal moments in Clarksville history that critically shaped who we are today but in many cases have been forgotten. Let’s do these in order.
1. Opening of Tobacco Exchange, 1858
How it happened: Cotton may be king in much of the South, but the Clarksville area never had the rich soil needed for that crop to thrive. But tobacco? That was another matter. Our region is perfect for “dark-fired tobacco,” which is cured over open fires and used in pipes, cigars and chewing tobacco. Farmers would bring their cured leaves to Clarksville, where “stemmeries” removed the stems, packed the tobacco for storage and shipped it along the Cumberland River to the Ohio, the Mississippi and on to New Orleans, where it was distributed worldwide and was particularly popular in Europe. At one point, Clarksville’s Type 22 tobacco was labeled the “Strongest tobacco in the world” thanks to 7% nicotine. A series of stemmeries and warehouses evolved, and they were consolidated in 1858 to create the Clarksville Tobacco Exchange…