For many years, the Society operated the historic L&N Train Station at 10th St. and Commerce in Clarksville. We held meetings and special events there, and made the facility available for event rentals. In 2022, the Society exited the station, which is owned by the City of Clarksville, for a multi-year renovation. Going forward, the site is being operated by the Clarksville Parks and Recreation Department.
History
There has been railroad traffic in Clarksville since 1859, when the Memphis, Clarksville and Louisville Railroad Company (MC&L) began construction on a railway to connect Memphis and Bowling Green.
The first passenger depot, which operated in the same building as the freight depot, was located at the intersection of Spring Street and Adams Street, near the Cumberland River draw bridge. An alternate location for the depot, which had been proposed in the planning stages in 1856, was described this way in the April 3, 1856 Clarksville Jeffersonian:
“The depot would be placed near the old Grave yard, in a remote, inaccessible part of the town, so rugged and unimprovable (to coin a word) as to render a trip to the depot almost equal to a passage of the Rocky mountains… The Grave-yard is so near as to render an untimely resurrection of the sacred dead necessary. A saw mill in front seems now to be gritting its teeth in defiant opposition to the introduction of the iron horse.”
Travel from the first depot began in October 1859, when the railway between Clarksville and Guthrie was completed. The draw bridge over the Cumberland River was completed in August of 1860, to the delight of 150 nervous inaugural riders. The railway extension to Bowling Green opened in September, 1860. Daily passenger service to Memphis began in January, 1861, at first using ferries for travelers to cross the Tennessee River until that bridge was completed in November, 1861.
War Torn
Much of the railway was damaged or destroyed during the Civil War, and the Memphis, Clarksville & Louisville Railroad went into receivership after the war due to its outstanding construction bonds to the State of Tennessee. The Receiver was George T. Lewis, who secured significant additional funding to restore the railway to working order. The railroad between Clarksville and Guthrie was still in running order, but the trains only ran 11 miles, from the Fair Ground to Guthrie, due to the unsafe condition of the Red River trestle approaching Clarksville. The MC&L returned to full operation in August, 1866.
History
There has been railroad traffic in Clarksville since 1859, when the Memphis, Clarksville and Louisville Railroad Company (MC&L) began construction on a railway to connect Memphis and Bowling Green.
The first passenger depot, which operated in the same building as the freight depot, was located at the intersection of Spring Street and Adams Street, near the Cumberland River draw bridge. An alternate location for the depot, which had been proposed in the planning stages in 1856, was described this way in the April 3, 1856 Clarksville Jeffersonian:
“The depot would be placed near the old Grave yard, in a remote, inaccessible part of the town, so rugged and unimprovable (to coin a word) as to render a trip to the depot almost equal to a passage of the Rocky mountains… The Grave-yard is so near as to render an untimely resurrection of the sacred dead necessary. A saw mill in front seems now to be gritting its teeth in defiant opposition to the introduction of the iron horse.”
Travel from the first depot began in October 1859, when the railway between Clarksville and Guthrie was completed. The draw bridge over the Cumberland River was completed in August of 1860, to the delight of 150 nervous inaugural riders. The railway extension to Bowling Green opened in September, 1860. Daily passenger service to Memphis began in January, 1861, at first using ferries for travelers to cross the Tennessee River until that bridge was completed in November, 1861.
War Torn
Much of the railway was damaged or destroyed during the Civil War, and the Memphis, Clarksville & Louisville Railroad went into receivership after the war due to its outstanding construction bonds to the State of Tennessee. The Receiver was George T. Lewis, who secured significant additional funding to restore the railway to working order. The railroad between Clarksville and Guthrie was still in running order, but the trains only ran 11 miles, from the Fair Ground to Guthrie, due to the unsafe condition of the Red River trestle approaching Clarksville. The MC&L returned to full operation in August, 1866.
Depot Street detail, from the 1877 county map, by Beers & Co., Philadelphia
The Second Depot
In September 1866, a new passenger depot opened in the “suburbs,” on what is still called Depot Street today, near the intersection of Madison Street and University Avenue. The depot included a large dining room, an apartment for the landlord and his family, and offices for the Receiver, Superintendent, Telegraph Operator and other officers. There was an adjacent hotel.
The former freight/passenger depot at Spring and Adams Streets continued for 30 years as the freight depot, until it was destroyed by fire in the same October 5, 1898 fire that destroyed the Grange Warehouse.
Ongoing financial problems for the MC&L led to an 11-day strike in February 1868, which ended when the Louisville & Nashville Railroad (L&N) leased the MC&L line.
The 1869 Clarksville newspaper reported a controversy at the depot, with independent hack drivers being denied access to the passenger platform, and only the Omnibus and Express company’s wagon allowed access.
The Memphis, Clarksville & Louisville Railroad Co. was dissolved in 1871 and the railway was purchased by the L&N.
The 1877 Beers & Co. map of Montgomery County shows the passenger depot at the foot of Depot Street, and the freight depot at Spring and Adams Street, labeled “Freighthouse.” 10th Street is shown on the map, passing by Bradley’s Brickyard, but Commerce Street ended at 7th Street.
The Move to 10th and Commerce
The 1866 depot had fallen into disrepair by 1880, and rumors spread that passenger service would move back to the former location at the freight depot by the river. By April 1881, the L&N had decided to build a new depot instead, and had been given two acres by John Bradley adjoining his brick yard on 10th Street. By that time, Commerce Street had been extended all the way to 10th Street. The new location was approached by three level, broad streets, and the ground was some of the most-level in the city on which to stop a train. It was predicted that a new brick depot, suitable for a town of Clarksville’s importance, would soon grace that suburb, then known as Scufftown. However, the new location was outside city limits, and therefore not within the jurisdiction of Clarksville Police, which caused some anxiety.
The contract for building the new depot was awarded to Barksdale, Clark & Co. of Clarksville, carpenters and builders, who were the lowest bidders. The architect was C. G. Rosenplanter. Despite hopes for a large brick structure, the September 17, 1881 Clarksville Weekly Chronicle reported:
In September 1866, a new passenger depot opened in the “suburbs,” on what is still called Depot Street today, near the intersection of Madison Street and University Avenue. The depot included a large dining room, an apartment for the landlord and his family, and offices for the Receiver, Superintendent, Telegraph Operator and other officers. There was an adjacent hotel.
The former freight/passenger depot at Spring and Adams Streets continued for 30 years as the freight depot, until it was destroyed by fire in the same October 5, 1898 fire that destroyed the Grange Warehouse.
Ongoing financial problems for the MC&L led to an 11-day strike in February 1868, which ended when the Louisville & Nashville Railroad (L&N) leased the MC&L line.
The 1869 Clarksville newspaper reported a controversy at the depot, with independent hack drivers being denied access to the passenger platform, and only the Omnibus and Express company’s wagon allowed access.
The Memphis, Clarksville & Louisville Railroad Co. was dissolved in 1871 and the railway was purchased by the L&N.
The 1877 Beers & Co. map of Montgomery County shows the passenger depot at the foot of Depot Street, and the freight depot at Spring and Adams Street, labeled “Freighthouse.” 10th Street is shown on the map, passing by Bradley’s Brickyard, but Commerce Street ended at 7th Street.
The Move to 10th and Commerce
The 1866 depot had fallen into disrepair by 1880, and rumors spread that passenger service would move back to the former location at the freight depot by the river. By April 1881, the L&N had decided to build a new depot instead, and had been given two acres by John Bradley adjoining his brick yard on 10th Street. By that time, Commerce Street had been extended all the way to 10th Street. The new location was approached by three level, broad streets, and the ground was some of the most-level in the city on which to stop a train. It was predicted that a new brick depot, suitable for a town of Clarksville’s importance, would soon grace that suburb, then known as Scufftown. However, the new location was outside city limits, and therefore not within the jurisdiction of Clarksville Police, which caused some anxiety.
The contract for building the new depot was awarded to Barksdale, Clark & Co. of Clarksville, carpenters and builders, who were the lowest bidders. The architect was C. G. Rosenplanter. Despite hopes for a large brick structure, the September 17, 1881 Clarksville Weekly Chronicle reported:
The building would sit on heavy oak ground timbers resting atop brick footers, the newspaper reported. “The style of the building is known in architecture as Swisse-Amerique.”
Trains began stopping at the new depot at 10th and Commerce on March 15, 1882. Passengers arriving at the new depot found that the cost for hiring a hack into downtown had doubled – 50 cents instead of 25 at the former depot location just a few hundred yards away.
Competition among the hack drivers was disorderly at first, given that the depot was out of the jurisdiction of the city police. That situation improved when the depot area was annexed into the city in 1887. The situation improved further after a test case in 1891, when Henry Davis, a hack driver, was fined $4.00 and costs for obstructing the platform during the arrival of a train.
Trains began stopping at the new depot at 10th and Commerce on March 15, 1882. Passengers arriving at the new depot found that the cost for hiring a hack into downtown had doubled – 50 cents instead of 25 at the former depot location just a few hundred yards away.
Competition among the hack drivers was disorderly at first, given that the depot was out of the jurisdiction of the city police. That situation improved when the depot area was annexed into the city in 1887. The situation improved further after a test case in 1891, when Henry Davis, a hack driver, was fined $4.00 and costs for obstructing the platform during the arrival of a train.
L&N time tables from the May 18, 1886 Clarksville Semi-Weekly Tobacco Leaf, showing 2 daily trains in each direction.
The destruction by fire of the old freight depot in 1898 spurred encouragement by some citizens of building a large, brick combined passenger and freight depot on the site of the now-16-year-old passenger depot at 10th and Commerce. Instead, the freight depot was rebuilt at its former site near the river, and the passenger depot at 10th and Commerce just got a new coat of paint, “the regular L. & N. passenger depot tint.”
In July 1901, the Leaf-Chronicle published rumors of improvements at the passenger depot, instead of a long-hoped-for “respectable” building. The improvements were said to include a crushed-limestone platform replacing the wooden one, and a dedicated ladies’ waiting room.
The 1901 Fire
Just a few weeks later, a fire broke out at the passenger depot, damaging the east end of the building, including part of a waiting room, the baggage room, and the tin roof. The Leaf-Chronicle wasted no time in advocating for a “proper” depot to be built. Within a few weeks, however, the damage had been repaired, and the L&N announced a series of improvements to the old frame building in lieu of a new depot. The ticket office was to be enlarged to make room for a ladies’ waiting room with hardwood floors, and the rest of the building was to receive a general remodeling, including new settees, and electric lights to replace the coal-oil lamps. “An out and out new depot, however,” reported the Leaf-Chronicle, “would have been the thing.” The interior remodeling was completed by Christmas of that year. The crushed-limestone platform was completed a few months later in 1902.
By 1906, 7 trains in each direction were stopping at the Clarksville passenger depot, in addition to special-occasion trains such as during fairs. You could ride to Louisville and back for the 1906 Kentucky State Fair for $5.57. A round-trip to the Tennessee State Fair in Nashville in 1913 cost $1.65.
In July 1901, the Leaf-Chronicle published rumors of improvements at the passenger depot, instead of a long-hoped-for “respectable” building. The improvements were said to include a crushed-limestone platform replacing the wooden one, and a dedicated ladies’ waiting room.
The 1901 Fire
Just a few weeks later, a fire broke out at the passenger depot, damaging the east end of the building, including part of a waiting room, the baggage room, and the tin roof. The Leaf-Chronicle wasted no time in advocating for a “proper” depot to be built. Within a few weeks, however, the damage had been repaired, and the L&N announced a series of improvements to the old frame building in lieu of a new depot. The ticket office was to be enlarged to make room for a ladies’ waiting room with hardwood floors, and the rest of the building was to receive a general remodeling, including new settees, and electric lights to replace the coal-oil lamps. “An out and out new depot, however,” reported the Leaf-Chronicle, “would have been the thing.” The interior remodeling was completed by Christmas of that year. The crushed-limestone platform was completed a few months later in 1902.
By 1906, 7 trains in each direction were stopping at the Clarksville passenger depot, in addition to special-occasion trains such as during fairs. You could ride to Louisville and back for the 1906 Kentucky State Fair for $5.57. A round-trip to the Tennessee State Fair in Nashville in 1913 cost $1.65.
A 1908 Sanborn map of Clarksville shows the 100-foot-long passenger depot, with a now-gone baggage room attached
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Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle, October 21, 1909
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“This Time-Honored Shack”
By 1909, the ground timbers upon which the depot was built in 1882 had been compromised. Again, the newspaper hoped, aloud, for a new depot as the remedy. Instead, the L&N raised the entire depot 18 inches and built a brick foundation underneath.
In 1915, the Mayor and Board of Aldermen weighed in on the need for a new passenger depot, and appointed a committee to meet with the L&N. Again, the L&N responded with improvements instead of a new building…
By 1909, the ground timbers upon which the depot was built in 1882 had been compromised. Again, the newspaper hoped, aloud, for a new depot as the remedy. Instead, the L&N raised the entire depot 18 inches and built a brick foundation underneath.
In 1915, the Mayor and Board of Aldermen weighed in on the need for a new passenger depot, and appointed a committee to meet with the L&N. Again, the L&N responded with improvements instead of a new building…
1913 Sanborn insurance map
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The 'butterfly shed,' added in 1916 (renovated in 2023).
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The Butterfly Shed
In 1916, improvements included better access to the ladies’ waiting room, which had been built behind the ticket office, and the addition of the 320-foot-long “butterfly shed,” between the track and the depot over the entire platform. The eastern end of the shed was burned in a 1920 fire that also damaged the exterior of the Southern Express office near the depot.
A 1921 city ordinance, perhaps aimed at the L&N but possibly the Tennessee Central Railroad, required railroad companies operating in the city to keep their waiting rooms “amply commodious,” with comfortable seats, heating, lights and ventilation.
Wartime Crowds
On May 28, 1918, over 1,000 people gathered at the train station to say goodbye to the first 78 area men selected for wartime duty, conveyed in 3 passenger coaches attached to the end of the southbound train #103.
A smaller but similarly enthusiastic crowd assembled in October 1922, when Dr. W. T. Haggard and Rev. John Durrett returned from the Tennessee Conference and were greeted on the platform by “100 happy Methodists.” A 1931 circus train unloaded 9 elephants, lions, camels, “cowboys, Indians, ponies, dogs and other interesting sights.”
By 1922, 10 northbound trains and 8 southbound trains stopped daily at the Clarksville depot.
The Leaf-Chronicle continued its tradition of advocating for a new passenger depot, proposing in 1929 a union depot for both the L&N and the Tennessee Central. “The passenger station of the Louisville & Nashville railroad here is about on par with its stations in Adams, Cedar Hill, St. Bethlehem and other small places, and does not equal the depot in Guthrie, Ky.”
Passenger service was brisk until the advent of the automobile in the 1920s. There was a resurgence in passenger traffic during the World War II years: many trains pulled out of the depot with passengers standing in the aisles, and with soldiers heading off to war. If veterans and other dignitaries were arriving in town, there could be 1,000-2,000 people at the station to greet them.
By 1949, demand for rail service had dropped such that only 6 trains stopped at Clarksville, and two of those were discontinued because of a national coal strike.
This 1952 floor plan shows that the waiting rooms were segregated, and that the baggage and express end of the building was still intact (a freestanding Express Office having been damaged and torn down in the 1940s):
In 1916, improvements included better access to the ladies’ waiting room, which had been built behind the ticket office, and the addition of the 320-foot-long “butterfly shed,” between the track and the depot over the entire platform. The eastern end of the shed was burned in a 1920 fire that also damaged the exterior of the Southern Express office near the depot.
A 1921 city ordinance, perhaps aimed at the L&N but possibly the Tennessee Central Railroad, required railroad companies operating in the city to keep their waiting rooms “amply commodious,” with comfortable seats, heating, lights and ventilation.
Wartime Crowds
On May 28, 1918, over 1,000 people gathered at the train station to say goodbye to the first 78 area men selected for wartime duty, conveyed in 3 passenger coaches attached to the end of the southbound train #103.
A smaller but similarly enthusiastic crowd assembled in October 1922, when Dr. W. T. Haggard and Rev. John Durrett returned from the Tennessee Conference and were greeted on the platform by “100 happy Methodists.” A 1931 circus train unloaded 9 elephants, lions, camels, “cowboys, Indians, ponies, dogs and other interesting sights.”
By 1922, 10 northbound trains and 8 southbound trains stopped daily at the Clarksville depot.
The Leaf-Chronicle continued its tradition of advocating for a new passenger depot, proposing in 1929 a union depot for both the L&N and the Tennessee Central. “The passenger station of the Louisville & Nashville railroad here is about on par with its stations in Adams, Cedar Hill, St. Bethlehem and other small places, and does not equal the depot in Guthrie, Ky.”
Passenger service was brisk until the advent of the automobile in the 1920s. There was a resurgence in passenger traffic during the World War II years: many trains pulled out of the depot with passengers standing in the aisles, and with soldiers heading off to war. If veterans and other dignitaries were arriving in town, there could be 1,000-2,000 people at the station to greet them.
By 1949, demand for rail service had dropped such that only 6 trains stopped at Clarksville, and two of those were discontinued because of a national coal strike.
This 1952 floor plan shows that the waiting rooms were segregated, and that the baggage and express end of the building was still intact (a freestanding Express Office having been damaged and torn down in the 1940s):
The Last Train
Day trains #102 & #103 were discontinued on November 15, 1965, due to the decline in passenger business. Night trains #101 & #104 ran until February 28, 1968, when C. W. Harrison, night ticket agent, sold the last passenger ticket in Clarksville. P. O. Bledsoe, day ticket agent, was known by many Clarksvillians, working at the depot for over 30 years. The desk used by Mr. Bledsoe is in the care of the Historical Society.
The Monkees’ 1966 song, “Last Train to Clarksville,” generates interest in the depot to this day, but the song is not about Clarksville, Tennessee. However, Bobby Goldsboro’s 1973 song, “The L&N Don’t Stop Here Anymore” is about our depot.
After passenger service ended in 1968, the L&N continued to use the depot for freight operations until 1975, and then left the building vacant in 1978. The site was purchased by the City of Clarksville in 1982 for $12,000, with speculation that it might become a community center and host a farmer’s market.
Day trains #102 & #103 were discontinued on November 15, 1965, due to the decline in passenger business. Night trains #101 & #104 ran until February 28, 1968, when C. W. Harrison, night ticket agent, sold the last passenger ticket in Clarksville. P. O. Bledsoe, day ticket agent, was known by many Clarksvillians, working at the depot for over 30 years. The desk used by Mr. Bledsoe is in the care of the Historical Society.
The Monkees’ 1966 song, “Last Train to Clarksville,” generates interest in the depot to this day, but the song is not about Clarksville, Tennessee. However, Bobby Goldsboro’s 1973 song, “The L&N Don’t Stop Here Anymore” is about our depot.
After passenger service ended in 1968, the L&N continued to use the depot for freight operations until 1975, and then left the building vacant in 1978. The site was purchased by the City of Clarksville in 1982 for $12,000, with speculation that it might become a community center and host a farmer’s market.
L&N depot in the 1990s, prior to the 1996 restoration
Bicentennial Renovations
After continuing to sit vacant for years, the depot was restored for the Tennessee Bicentennial in 1996 by the Montgomery County Bicentennial Committee, at a cost of more than $400,000, with a grand re-opening on August 9, 1996. The Historical Society began operating the depot soon thereafter, hosting a thriving farmer's market that continued for 25 years, and keeping the historic building available as an event space.
R. J. Corman, which owns and operates the adjacent railway today, donated the diesel-electric locomotive. The Pratt Museum at Fort Campbell donated the 1933 caboose.
After continuing to sit vacant for years, the depot was restored for the Tennessee Bicentennial in 1996 by the Montgomery County Bicentennial Committee, at a cost of more than $400,000, with a grand re-opening on August 9, 1996. The Historical Society began operating the depot soon thereafter, hosting a thriving farmer's market that continued for 25 years, and keeping the historic building available as an event space.
R. J. Corman, which owns and operates the adjacent railway today, donated the diesel-electric locomotive. The Pratt Museum at Fort Campbell donated the 1933 caboose.
