Clarksville, TN - Clarksville, Tennessee, founded in 1785, is one of the state's oldest cities with a rich history that blends tradition and progress. Named after Revolutionary War hero General George Rogers Clark, Clarksville was a strategic Civil War site and a thriving hub for the dark-fired tobacco industry.
The city boasts landmarks like Fort Defiance, the Customs House Museum, and Dunbar Cave, showcasing its historical and cultural significance. In recent years, Clarksville has experienced rapid growth, earning accolades such as "Best Place to Live in America" and ranking as the most desirable location for small businesses.
Clarksville was founded in 1785 and is one of the oldest cities in Tennessee.
The city is named after General George Rogers Clark, a Revolutionary War hero and brother of William Clark of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
Both Confederate and Union forces occupied Clarksville during the Civil War. Fort Defiance, a Civil War fort, still stands as a historic site.
Austin Peay State University was founded in 1927 and named after the former Governor of Tennessee, Austin Peay.
The Customs House Museum and Cultural Center, built in 1898, is an iconic landmark showcasing Victorian architecture.
Clarksville got her nickname "The Queen City" due to being the largest center for the dark-fired tobacco industry before the Civil War. The local tobacco was highly prized all over Europe.
Clarksville's location on the Cumberland River also made it an important transportation and trade hub in the 1800s, and as a result, the town grew very rapidly.
Clarksville has experienced rapid growth again in the last 10 years because of the abundance of well-paying, quality jobs, comparably affordable housing prices, reasonable cost of living, and high-quality public education.
Clarksville was listed as, "Best Place to Live in America" by Money Magazine in 2019 and making the list again in 2024. Clarksville's 37040 was listed at the most desirable zip code in America in 2022 reported by Business Journal Magazine.
Clarksville is one of the most affordable places in America to start a small business.
The Great Fire of 1878 destroyed much of Downtown Clarksville, leading to a rebuilding effort that shaped the city's modern layout.
An F3 tornado with 200 mile per hour winds destroyed large parts of Clarksville's downtown area on January 22nd, 1999. The historic Montgomery County Court house, built in 1879 and was listed on the National registers of Historic Places, was unfortunately left in ruins along with several other treasured historical buildings and churches. It was a miracle no one died.
Dunbar Cave is an extraordinary site that was used for thousands of years by prehistoric Native Americans and the cave includes ancient artwork on the walls.
Clarksville's very own, Wilma Rudolph, was an Olympic athlete who won 3 gold medals in track and field. Her story is especially miraculous, overcoming polio in childhood. Polio is a crippling virus that destroys the spinal cord, causing muscle waste, leaving most people paralyzed and unable to walk.