Clarksville

Table of Contents

Introduction References & Edit History Related Topics

Images

Clarksville

Tennessee, United States

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Feb 20, 2025 • Article History

Clarksville, city, seat (1796) of Montgomery county, northern Tennessee, U.S. It lies near the Kentucky state line, at the confluence of the Cumberland and Red rivers, about 40 miles (65 km) northwest of Nashville. Founded in 1784 by Colonel John Montgomery, a settler from North Carolina, it was named for General George Rogers Clark, the American Revolutionary War soldier and frontiersman. The settlement was a frequent target of attack by local Native American bands. Valentine Sevier, brother of Tennessee’s first governor, lost several family members to such attacks; the stone block house he built in 1792 still stands. The city developed in the 19th century as a river depot for tobacco.

Tobacco growing and the processing and marketing of the local dark-fired variety are important activities. Printing and the manufacture of heating and air conditioning units are also major contributors to the economy. Clarksville is the seat of Austin Peay State University (1927). Fort Campbell, a military reservation headquartered in Kentucky, lies adjacent to the city on the west. Dunbar Cave State Natural Area, immediately northeast, has cave tours and a small museum. Near the town of Dover, about 30 miles (50 km) west, is Fort Donelson National Battlefield, the site on which forces under General Ulysses S. Grant won the first major Union victory (February 1862) of the American Civil War; Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area, which extends into Kentucky between Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley, is just northwest of Dover. Historic Collinsville is a restored 19th-century settlement. The Clarksville-Montgomery County Museum contains art and history exhibits. The Old Time Fiddlers’ Championship is held in March. Olympic runner Wilma Rudolph was a native of Clarksville. Inc. 1785. Pop. (2010) 132,929; Clarksville Metro Area, 273,949; (2020) 166,722; Clarksville Metro Area, 320,535.

This article was most recently revised and updated by World Data Editors.

Cumberland River

Table of Contents

Introduction References & Edit History Related Topics

Images

fortified Union railroad bridge, Nashville, Tennessee, 1864.

Cumberland River

river, United States

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Article History

Cumberland River, river formed on the Cumberland Plateau by the confluence of Poor and Clover forks in Harlan county, southern Kentucky, U.S. Looping through northern Tennessee, it joins the Ohio River after a course of 687 miles (1,106 km) at Smithland, Kentucky, 12 miles (19 km) upstream from the mouth of the Tennessee River. From its headwaters to the Cumberland (or Great) Falls, in Whitley county, Kentucky (site of a state park), the river is a mountain stream that is of little volume during late summer but is subject to heavy floods during winter and spring. From Williamsburg, Kentucky, above the falls, to the Kentucky-Tennessee state line, the Cumberland crosses a highland bench in the Cumberland Plateau and flows in a gorge between cliffs 300–400 feet (90–120 meters) high. Thence the river enters the central limestone basin of Tennessee and, turning north, crosses the plain of western Kentucky to the Ohio River. At one point it is less than 2 miles (3 km) from the lower Tennessee River. The Cumberland’s drainage area is 18,080 square miles (46,830 square km).

The Cumberland’s chief tributaries, all entering downstream from the falls, are the Laurel, Rockcastle, and South Fork in Kentucky; the Obey, Caney Fork, Stones, Harpeth, and Red in Tennessee; and the Little River in western Kentucky. Nashville, Tennessee, is the largest city along the river. Other centers include Pineville, Barbourville, and Williamsburg in eastern Kentucky; Carthage, Clarksville, and Dover in Tennessee; and Eddyville in western Kentucky.

The development of a series of lakes on the Cumberland took place as part of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) system. Wolf Creek Dam (1952) for flood control and power, in Russell county, Kentucky, created Lake Cumberland, which extends to the base of Cumberland Falls. Large power dams are in operation on two tributaries: Dale Hollow Dam (1953) on the Obey River near Celina, Tennessee; and Center Hill Dam (1951) on Caney Fork, southeast of Carthage. Old Hickory Dam, upstream from Nashville, ponds the water to Carthage, the head of navigation on the river. Cheatham Dam is upstream from Clarksville. Barkley Dam (in operation since 1966) controls the lower river.

water glass on white background. (drink; clear; clean water; liquid)

Britannica Quiz

Water and its Varying Forms

Fort Donelson National Military Park, in northern Tennessee on the Cumberland, commemorates the American Civil War battle that opened the Tennessee River to Union troops.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Clarksville

Britannica Chatbot

Cumberland River

Britannica Chatbot