CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – The Cumberland River has always played an important role in the history of Clarksville.
The river helped transport tobacco grown in the Clarksville area to a number of destinations, including Pittsburgh and New Orleans. In fact, the city was once among the largest markets for a type of dark-fired tobacco. Perhaps it’s no surprise that one of the city’s newspapers was even named The Tobacco Leaf.
While tobacco is no longer the basis for the city’s economy, a reminder of the city’s past is clearly visible on the side of a building on the city’s Public Square and overlooking the Cumberland River.
The Poston Building, built in 1842, is one of the city’s oldest buildings. In the 1870s, an advertisement was painted on the side of the building. Much like a billboard situated along the side of the interstate, the building served as a billboard to the passing river traffic.
While The Poston Building isn’t the most exhilarating attraction in town, it is an important reminder of the city’s past and the crop that helped bring the city to prominence.