Clarksville is a town in Clark County,

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

, United States, along the

Ohio River The Ohio River () is a river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing in a southwesterly direction from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to its river mouth, mouth on the Mississippi Riv ...

and is a part of the

Louisville Metropolitan area The Louisville metropolitan area is the 43rd largest metropolitan statistical area (MSA) in the United States. It had a population of 1,395,855 in 2020 according to the latest official census, and its principal city is Louisville, Kentucky. T ...

. The population was 22,333 at the 2020 census. The town was founded in 1783 by early resident

George Rogers Clark George Rogers Clark (November 19, 1752 – February 13, 1818) was an American military officer and surveyor from Virginia who became the highest-ranking Patriot (American Revolution), Patriot military officer on the American frontier, nort ...

at the only seasonal rapids on the entire Ohio River, it is the oldest American town in the former

Northwest Territory The Northwest Territory, also known as the Old Northwest and formally known as the Territory Northwest of the River Ohio, was formed from part of the unorganized western territory of the United States after the American Revolution. Established ...

. The town is home to the Colgate clock, one of the largest clocks in the world and the Falls of the Ohio State Park, home to the world's largest exposed

Devonian The Devonian ( ) is a period (geology), geologic period and system (stratigraphy), system of the Paleozoic era (geology), era during the Phanerozoic eon (geology), eon, spanning 60.3 million years from the end of the preceding Silurian per ...

period

fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserve ...

bed.

History

The site that would become Clarksville was first used as a base of operations by George Rogers Clark during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

. In 1778 he established a post on an island at the head of the Falls of the Ohio, from which he trained his 175-man regiment. After the war, Clark was granted a tract of for his services in the war. In 1783, were set aside for the development of a town, Clarksville. The same year a stockade was built and settlement began. The explorer William Clark was a younger brother of George Rogers Clark. Historian Stephen Ambrose writes of

Meriwether Lewis Meriwether Lewis (August 18, 1774 – October 11, 1809) was an American explorer, soldier, politician, and public administrator, best known for his role as the leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery, with ...

and William Clark in '' Undaunted Courage'', "When they shook hands t Clarksville the

Lewis and Clark Expedition The Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery Expedition, was the United States expedition to cross the newly acquired western portion of the country after the Louisiana Purchase. The Corps of Discovery was a select gro ...

began." A two-figure statue near the falls commemorates the expedition. Several localities other than Clarksville claim precedence for the start of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, most notably

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Miss ...

. Due to the many floods in the nineteenth century and the Indiana Canal Company's failed competition to build a canal around the Ohio Falls, the town struggled. On August 24, 1805, the Indiana Territorial Legislature authorized the construction of a canal around the Falls of the Ohio at Clarksville. The first attempt failed and the investors lost their money. Historians believe it was used to finance the

conspiracy A conspiracy, also known as a plot, ploy, or scheme, is a secret plan or agreement between people (called conspirers or conspirators) for an unlawful or harmful purpose, such as murder, treason, or corruption, especially with a political motivat ...

Aaron Burr Aaron Burr Jr. (February 6, 1756 – September 14, 1836) was an American politician, businessman, lawyer, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the third vice president of the United States from 1801 to 1805 d ...

. Developers tried to build a canal in 1817 and again in 1820. But the race to build the canal was lost in 1826 when the federal government made a large grant to build the Louisville and Portland Canal. The lack of a canal handicapped the growth of the town as the Falls of the Ohio made river transport from the city difficult. Clarksville became a popular dueling spot for Kentuckians who wanted to dodge their home state's anti-dueling laws. The most famous of these was the 1809 duel between

Henry Clay Henry Clay (April 12, 1777June 29, 1852) was an American lawyer and statesman who represented Kentucky in both the United States Senate, U.S. Senate and United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives. He was the seventh Spea ...

and Humphrey Marshall. There was an attempt to build a second town within Clarksville's boundaries, named Ohio Falls City, until the Indiana Supreme Court ruled that this would be illegal. The town was managed by a ten-member Board of Trustees in the charter from

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

. The trustees were allowed to align lots along roads and sell the lots for the proceeds to benefit the town. The trustees could elect replacements as needed and did not have to reside in the town. This remained controversial with residents until 1889 when the board stopped meeting and was replaced by a three-member board. One member was selected by the Floyd County Commissioners, one by the Clark County Commissioners, and one by residents of Clarksville. Between 1889 and 1937, the town established a five-member board entirely elected by residents. The historic records related to this governmental change were lost in the Ohio River flood of 1937. The Great Flood of 1937 decimated the town. The entire town was submerged beneath as much as of water in some areas for over three weeks during January and February. With almost all of the old town destroyed, Clarksville was rebuilt with a new modern city plan. The post-

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

housing boom and new jobs brought growth to the city. The population increased from 2,400 in 1940 to 22,000 in 2000. The city has expanded to the north by annexing several sizable suburbs. By 1981 the State of Indiana changed statutes to convert the managing board of trustees to a council with members rather than trustees. In 1990 voters approved expansion of members of the Town Council from five to seven following the area growth. Clarksville is now the major shopping hub of Southern Indiana, with the hub area centered on Lewis and Clark Parkway and nearby Veterans Parkway.

Geography

According to the 2010 census, Clarksville has a total area of , of which (or 98.03%) is land and (or 1.97%) is water.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 21,724 people, 9,175 households, and 5,464 families living in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 9,839 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 85.1%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 5.6%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.3% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 5.7% from other races, and 2.5% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 9.5% of the population. There were 9,175 households, of which 29.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.0% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 14.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.4% were non-families. 33.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.98. The median age in the town was 37.3 years. 22.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.5% were from 25 to 44; 24.8% were from 45 to 64; and 15.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 48.0% male and 52.0% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 21,400 people, 8,984 households, and 5,561 families living in the town. The population density was . There were 9,537 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 90.56%

, 5.59%

, 0.27% Native American, 0.93% Asian, 0.03%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 1.08% from other races, and 1.53% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 2.80% of the population. There were 8,984 households, out of which 28.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.4% were

living together, 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.1% were non-families. 31.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.92. In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.1% under the age of 18, 9.9% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.8 males. The median income for a household in the town was $35,473, and the median income for a family was $44,688. Males had a median income of $30,860 versus $23,329 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the town was $20,315. About 5.6% of families and 8.1% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 10.5% of those under age 18 and 6.7% of those age 65 or over.

Attractions

Clarksville has the largest exposed

beds from the Devonian period. This area has now been incorporated in the Falls of the Ohio State Park, where the state has built an education center. The fossils include plant and marine life from a prehistoric coral reef that are 386 million years old. Several other local parks included sports fields, such as the Lapping Park, which contains a golf course, a Disc Golf course, soft ball field, shelter house, amphitheater, and hiking trails. The city has the "7th largest clock in the world", at the former Colgate-Palmolive Plant near the Ohio River. Many locals still mistakenly claim it as the "2nd largest clock in the world", but it was surpassed years ago. As the Colgate company closed the plant in early 2008, the clock's future was in question. The town has vowed to keep the clock in its current location, which can be seen from across the river in downtown

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the List of cities in Kentucky, most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeastern United States, Southeast, and the list of United States cities by population, 27th-most-populous city ...

. The Clarksville Little Theater is one of the oldest continuously running community theaters in the United States. Also located here is Derby Dinner Playhouse, the only dinner theater in the area.

Clarksville is home to several churches, including Southeast Christian Church, Faith Assembly Church, St. Anthony Parish, and Seven Pillars Church International. The restaurant chain Texas Roadhouse first started in Clarksville, and its original location is open as an outlet at the Green Tree Mall. Clarksville is the home of the United States's second-largest Bass Pro at the River Falls Mall.

Education

Clarksville Community School Corporation, Greater Clark County Schools, and West Clark Community Schools serve sections of Clarksville.

Notable people

John James Audubon John James Audubon (born Jean-Jacques Rabin, April 26, 1785 – January 27, 1851) was a French-American Autodidacticism, self-trained artist, natural history, naturalist, and ornithology, ornithologist. His combined interests in art and ornitho ...

spent considerable time here, as he made many of his bird fieldbook sketches at the Falls of the Ohio. *

Tony Bennett Anthony Dominick Benedetto (August 3, 1926 – July 21, 2023), known professionally as Tony Bennett, was an American jazz and traditional pop singer. He received many accolades, including 20 Grammy Awards, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, ...

, former Indiana Director of Education * Frank Kimmel, a

NASCAR The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. It is considered to be one of the top ranked motorsports organizations in ...

driver, was born and lives in Clarksville. * Rose Will Monroe, aka Rosie the Riveter

Twin cities

The Clarksville sister or twin city program began in 1998. Bewdley and

Melton Mowbray Melton Mowbray () is a market town in the Borough of Melton, Melton district in Leicestershire, England, north-east of Leicester and south-east of Nottingham. It lies on the River Eye, Leicestershire, River Eye, known below Melton as the Rive ...

in the UK were the first sister cities to begin friendship ties in 1998 and 1999 and relations have continued. Most recently

La Garenne-Colombes La Garenne-Colombes () is a Communes of France, commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from Notre Dame de Paris, France's kilometre zero. Name The commune used to be part of the neighbouring city of Colombes. At t ...

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

urban area,

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

joined the sister cities of Clarksville.Welcome to the Town of Clarksville
* Bewdley,

Worcestershire Worcestershire ( , ; written abbreviation: Worcs) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It is bordered by Shropshire, Staffordshire, and the West Midlands (county), West ...

, United Kingdom *

Leicestershire Leicestershire ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It is bordered by Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire to the north, Rutland to the east, Northamptonshire to the south-east, Warw ...

, United Kingdom *

Île-de-France The Île-de-France (; ; ) is the most populous of the eighteen regions of France, with an official estimated population of 12,271,794 residents on 1 January 2023. Centered on the capital Paris, it is located in the north-central part of the cou ...

, France

Gallery

Derby_Dinner_Playhouse.jpg, Derby Dinner Playhouse Clarksville_High_Indiana.jpg, Clarksville High School Our Lady of Providence Junior-Senior High School exterior.jpg, Providence High School 2016WIKI FallsOfTheOhioSP1June13.jpg, World's largest exposed

fossil bed is at Clarksville's Falls of the Ohio State Park

References

External links

*
Clarksville Parks & Recreation Department
{{authority control Towns in Indiana Populated places established in 1783 Louisville metropolitan area Towns in Clark County, Indiana Indiana populated places on the Ohio River