By Shana Thornton
Getting off your own beaten path takes some initiative and learning about new places in your community. Two places that offer trails to explore and some history in the process are Ft. Defiance Civil War Park & Interpretive Center and Mt. Olive Cemetery – two very different places but with many connections in the community.
Fort Defiance Civil War Park & Interpretive Center
The walking trail at Ft. Defiance offers a history lesson about the Civil War and reconstruction. You will see the earthworks of the fort, constructed by formerly enslaved people as well as members of the United States Colored Troops, and the views of the downtown and Cumberland River.
Mt. Olive Cemetery
Mt. Olive Cemetery is cared for and maintained by Mt. Olive Cemetery Historical Preservation Society. They have constructed walking trails with markers and historical panels. The historian, Phyllis Smith, has researched the lives of many of the people interred at the cemetery, especially soldiers from the United States Colored Troops, and many of their graves are marked. The cemetery is about 8 acres and is lovely every time of year.
Both places offer spaces of quiet reflection. Mt. Olive Cemetery has benches placed throughout the cemetery. Fort Defiance is home to an interpretive center with an interactive exhibition. Mt. Olive Cemetery Historical Preservation Society also sponsored a statue honoring the United States Colored Troops to be erected at Ft. Defiance.
Photo Courtesy of DC Thomas.
Photo Courtesy of DC Thomas.
LOCATIONS
Mt Olive Cemetery is located between Cumberland Drive and Rollins Road in Clarksville, TN. When visiting Mt Olive Cemetery, please be mindful of where you park and please be respectful to the neighbors’ properties and privacy. Website: Mt. Olive Cemetery & Historical Preservation Clarksville TN
Ft. Defiance is located at 120 Duncan Street, Clarksville, TN. Website: Historical Properties | Clarksville, TN
Upcoming:
In the Summer issue of Second & Commerce magazine, Phyllis Smith writes an article about Martilla Frazier (Johnson), who is interred at Mt. Olive Cemetery. Martilla Frazier (Johnson) was enslaved by Clarksvillian Cave Johnson, the first Postmaster General of the United States, and she cared for his children and lived in Washington D.C. with his family during his term. In the same upcoming issue, Dr. Richard P. Gildrie continues A History of New Providence, which is focused on the area that is now Ft. Defiance during the Civil War and reconstruction. Stay on the lookout for the Summer magazine, coming June 2026.
In the meantime, check out these articles from past issues of Second & Commerce that feature the Mt. Olive Cemetery and Ft. Defiance in related histories.
“Mt. Olive Cemetery: You Won’t Die Twice” by Dr. Tyler Nolting: https://publuu.com/flip-book/939485/2065451/page/12
“Civil War Diaries: In the Words of Three Clarksville Women” by Dr. Minoa Uffelman: https://publuu.com/flip-book/939485/2067301/page/26
“Legacies of Leadership, Creativity, & Community” by Shana Thornton: https://publuu.com/flip-book/939485/2070733/page/18
“Sevier Station Massacre: Uncovering the True Site” by Dr. Richard P. Gildrie: https://publuu.com/flip-book/939485/2080789/page/18
“Transformation & Liberation: A History of New Providence 1861-1870” by Dr. Richard P. Gildrie: https://publuu.com/flip-book/939485/2354783/page/30
Shana Thornton is the Marketing & Media Manager and Managing Editor of Second & Commerce, the Customs House Museum & Cultural Center’s arts, history, and culture magazine. She is an author and publisher, Founder of the Clarksville-Montgomery County African American Legacy Trail, and the Montgomery County Deputy Historian.