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| Customs House (Photo by Todd DeFeo) |
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – “The Gateway to the New South” is overlooked when it comes to a Tennessee visit.
From Atlanta, Clarksville, Tenn., is an easy weekend destination – a roughly 4.5 hour drive. Take Interstate 75 north to Interstate 24 west. Continue to Exit 11.
Dunbar Cave
By the 1930s and 1940s, Dunbar Cave was a popular destination – not so much because of its natural splendor, but because of the musical acts that performed at the cave entrance.
The 8-mile-long Dunbar Cave was formed millions of years ago and has always attracted people. During digs at the site, archeologists found Paleo-Indian artifacts buried near the cave entrance, and in 2005, Indian glyphs were discovered on the cave walls.
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| Poston Building (Photo by Todd DeFeo) |
Poston Building
The Cumberland River has always played an important role in the history of Clarksville and helped transport locally-grown tobacco to a number of destinations nationwide. 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.
In the 1870s, an advertisement was painted on the side of the Poston Building. Much like a billboard situated along the side of the interstate, the building served as a billboard to the passing river traffic.
Customs House Museum
In 1898, the federal government built a customs house and a post office at the corner of Second and Commerce streets to help process the increasing volumes of mail to and from the city.
In 1984, the building was transformed into the Customs House Museum and Cultural Center – touted as the “state’s second-largest general interest museum.” The museum features a number of permanent exhibits, including the postmaster’s office and “Memory Lane,” dedicated to telling the story of Clarksville and Montgomery County’s history.
Railroad History
Standing on 10th Street in downtown Clarksville, it’s hard to imagine this area was once a bustling transportation hub around the turn of the 20th century.
The old depot, known by locals as the L&N; Station, dates to September 1881 when workers broke ground, but it has been refurbished a number of times over the years, according to the Montgomery County Historical Society.
The swing bridge over the Cumberland River dates to 1859. Originally built by Irish stone masons, the 678-foot-long bridge is normally more than 50 feet above the river. The structure swings to allow taller ships to pass through.
For more information, visit http://www.clarksville.tn.us/info-html/what_to_see.html.