By Gabrielle Diepenbrock, Account Manager & Social Media Manager
In late April our team trekked to the Volunteer State to do an on-the-ground assessment of Clarksville, Tennessee.
Have you ever heard the song Last Train to Clarksville by The Monkees? If not, you need to. As we drove through the beautiful green countryside, the team couldn’t help but hum it.
Clarksville has such a rich history. The city was established in 1784 close to the confluence of the Cumberland and Red rivers. In its early days, it was primarily designated as a settlement for Revolutionary War soldiers as a repayment for their services to the U.S.
Being near two rivers, the city grew rapidly with agriculture as its main industry. During the Civil War, it was home to three Confederate camps, but in 1862, the USS Cairo, a Union ironclad, captured the city, which was then occupied by Union soldiers.
Many years have passed, but Clarksville remains a cultural hub and is home to several gems that our team had the privilege of visiting!
The team’s trip started out at Beachaven Vineyards & Winery. The team learned about the Winery’s history, the winemaking process, and the people who have made it great – such as the late Claus “Dutch” Mann. Mann, after retiring from the military, spent days carving beautiful Clarksville landscapes on Beachaven’s barrel heads. Many of these barrel heads hang on the walls of the Winery today.
After exploring the Winery, the team toured Old Glory Distilling, saw the beautiful and mighty Cumberland River at McGregor Park Riverwalk, and ate delicious Southern-style food at the Catfish House (fried catfish, fried okra, hush puppies, coleslaw, and fried pickles).
On the morning of day two, the Agency learned about Clarksville’s surrender to Union troops at Fort Defiance Civil War Park & Interpretive Center. After the tour, the team ate lunch at Miss Lucille’s Café and got a glimpse of Clarksville’s art scene and heritage at Customs House Museum and Cultural Center.
The Customs House Museum and Cultural Center has an exhibit on Clarksville’s Olympic track star, Wilma Rudolph. The Agency learned how Wilma overcame polio (which caused infantile paralysis at a young age) to become the first African-American to win three gold medals in track and field at a single Olympic Games.
The team also got to journey to Historic Collinsville, about 20 minutes from downtown Clarksville. Historic Collinsville was a dream come true for JoAnn Weakly and her husband – a hands-on experience for children to learn and imagine early American life.
The Agency performs on-the-ground assessments for various clients to take a look at cultural assets each destination has to offer. After the trip, the agency gives topline observations and marketing recommendations to the destination based on its available budget.
Like the Agency’s trip to Huntington, W.Va., in February, Clarksville served as a great reminder to the team of why we do what we do. Cultural Tourism is fun and fascinating! It also has a huge potential to grow the economic development of a destination. Especially a destination like Clarksville.
Curious to learn more? Or want to schedule an On-The-Ground Assessment for your destination? The Goss Agency would love to help. Feel free to reach out to Gabrielle Diepenbrock at gabrielle@thegossagency.com or 828-259-9910, ext. 101. We would love to help you with one of our proprietary Cultural Tourism programs.
