CLARKSVILLE, TN — Celebrate local heritage at Historic Collinsville Pioneer Settlement’s Montgomery County Heritage Day on Saturday, August 20 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Festivities include tomahawk throwing, butter making and corn husk creations. Demonstrations of blacksmithing, woodworking, spinning and weaving and the best medical care the 19th Century had to offer will be available. Artist Lennie Fottrell will explain how paints were once made while Tim Cash displays his hit-and-miss engines. Jeff Harris, of Montgomery County’s Historical Society, will present about John McAlister and the Cabin Row Plantation from Noon-1 p.m. Docents will be on hand to share the history and tell the stories of the property’s 16 log structures.
Reenactors will portray several people from the county’s past including Civil War soldiers and civilians, a doctor who was the first and only woman to receive the Medal of Honor, Civil War diarist Nannie Haskins and inventor A.H. Patch.
“We are so excited about this new event. It is a great way for locals and visitors alike to learn about the history and heritage of Montgomery County,” said Theresa Harrington, Visit Clarksville Executive Director. “The reenactors really enhance the experience by allowing guests to see a visual representation of life in the 1800s.”
Kona Ice will have a food truck on the property from Noon until 4 p.m. where guests will be able to purchase cool treats.
Admission is $10.00 for adults, $5.00 for ages 6-12, and children under 5 are free.
The pioneer settlement opened in 1974 to give children a “hands-on” experience outside of the classroom about life from the 1840s through the turn of the century. It has been open to the public since 1997, recreating the past with restored historical structures, each filled with authentic period furnishings that show a glimpse of life before and after the Civil War.
Once at Collinsville, guests can stroll through a re-creation of the past from the earliest “first home” to the expansive Dogtrot House, a tobacco-drying house, smokehouse, church/schoolhouse, wildlife center, loom house, cobbler’s shop, teacher’s home and more. Picnic tables are placed throughout the property and a covered pavilion with tables and restrooms is also on site. A visitor center greets guests and offers period souvenirs.
Montgomery County Government purchased Historic Collinsville from founders Glenn and JoAnn Weakley in 2018, who both passed away in September 2021. Visit Clarksville operates the property for the county.
For more information about Historic Collinsville please visit www.historiccollinsville.com, follow them on Facebook, contact Kristy Proctor by phone at 931—551-6535 or email kristy@visitclarksvilletn.com, or Mark Britton at mark@visitclarksvilletn.com
