Clarksville, TN – This past Saturday, September 17th, 2022, the Fort Defiance Civil War Park and Interpretive Center held the annual Sevier Days.
Hundreds of people took advantage of the great weather to come back and learn about life in Clarksville before the Civil War.
“Today we have our annual Sevier day. This is when we honor the lives of the men and women who lived here prior to the civil war, especially the family of Valentine Sevier, ” said William Parker, Historical Interpreter at Fort Defiance.
“He is the first settler who settled this hilltop up here. His station still survives up here. One of our goals here was to not let his story be forgotten,” Parker stated.Valentine Sevier was a local Revolutionary War hero and settler in Clarksville. He was adventurous, full of ambition, and willing to go to great lengths to achieve his goals.
There were frontier reenactors giving demonstrations like firing muskets, corn shell doll making, basket weaving, sewing, blacksmithing, and general activities that would have been normal day-to-day back then.
“The crowd today has been fantastic. We were not sure since it was such a beautiful day outside and people might decide to do something else. But we are really, really pleased with the crowd,” commented Parker.
To read more about Valentine Sevier go to https://www.clarksvilleonline.com/2014/11/17/clarksville-beginnings-part-3-kind-man-valentine-sevier/
For information about Fort Defiance visit ClarksvilleParkRec.com or call 931.645.7476.
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About Fort Defiance
The Fort Defiance Civil War Park and Interpretive Center is operated by the Clarksville Parks and Recreation Department.
Fort Defiance, which overlooks the confluence of the Red and Cumberland Rivers, was a cornerstone of the Confederate defense of the area and an important part of the eventual Union occupation of Clarksville. In 1982, Judge and Mrs. Sam Boaz, donated the property to the City of Clarksville.
In 2008, the City secured a $2.2 million federal grant that was combined with local funding and the process of construction of the interpretive center and walking trails began. The more than 1,500-square-foot Center features exhibits about the local area and the fort during the Civil War.
Fort Defiance Interpretive Center is open Monday-Saturday, 10:00am to 4:00pm and Sunday, 1:00pm to 5:00pm during the Spring and Summer.
It is located at 120 Duncan Street, Clarksville, TN.
For more information, visit www.fortdefianceclarksville.com
About the Clarksville Parks and Recreation Department
Clarksville Parks and Recreation Department provides a variety of indoor/outdoor programs, facilities, nature activities and entertainment events for people living in Clarksville, Montgomery County and Fort Campbell. These free or reasonably priced, year-round experiences help residents enhance their health, wellness, and social engagement — resulting in a stronger, better community.
The Clarksville Parks and Recreation Department offers a wide variety of recreational facilities and activities for all ages, maintains more than 700 acres of parks and facilities, provides 22 park facilities that offer a variety of amenities, including playgrounds, picnic areas, walking trails and pavilions or picnic shelters and maintains three community centers with year-round programming for youth, adults and seniors, as well as four public swimming pools
The Clarksville Parks and Recreation Department is located at 102 Public Square, Clarksville.
To learn more call 931.645.7476.
