Lee Erwin reporting
lerwin@clarksvillenow.com
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – The Customs House Museum & Cultural Center unveiled a new exhibit Tuesday, November 12 as the ribbon was cut on “Becoming Clarksville: Honoring Legacies of Leadership.” The permanent exhibit looks at the history of Clarksville and Montgomery County.
(See photos from opening night here)
The exhibit tells the stories of the people who helped shape the city and county. With its historical appeal the exhibit also features unique interactive and video elements. Many aspects of Clarksville-Montgomery County are highlighted in the exhibit such as business, agriculture and of course Fort Campbell and its connection to the community.
The area in the museum that houses the exhibit was once known as Heritage Hall but along with the exhibit Becoming Clarksville it is now known as the Clarksville Jaycees Heritage Hall. A number of former Clarksville Jaycees were on hand for the unveiling Tuesday and many said the event was like a reunion for members of the organization.
Alan Robison, Executive Director of the museum credited the Clarksville Jaycees for the inspiration for the “Becoming Clarksville” exhibit. “There are just so many people that made this happen and the Clarksville Jaycees are first on that list. They shared our vision of making a new history exhibit for this community,” said Robison.
Robison also talked about how the museum is celebrating 30 years. “What started 30 years ago as a small historical museum by a dedicated group of people that had a vision for what we need, what we can be and what we have been. It has now grown roots and has expanded and we are now a major regional museum for our area,” Robison said.
One member of the Clarksville Jaycees, Allan Groves, said the Jaycees were looking for a way to preserve their heritage and history of leadership and the new exhibit was the perfect fit. “Leadership through community service was what we were all about. We weren’t a civic organization like everyone thought. We took people and turned them into leaders,” said Groves.
Groves added that they turned people into leaders by teaching them how to be successful, raise money for the community and do things for the community. By doing those things the Jaycee members learned what it took to be a great leader. The leadership training part separated the Jaycees from civic organizations.
The Clarksville Jaycees were formed in 1946 and served the community until 2011. At one point for many years the organization was one of the largest Jaycee chapters in Tennessee. Groves said the chapter peaked at as many as 240-280 members.
You’ll find the Customs House Museum & Cultural Center at 200 South 2nd Street. The museum is open Tuesday-Saturday 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Sunday 1:00-5:00 p.m. and is closed on Monday. To learn more about what the museum has to offer go to www.customshousemuseum.org or call 931-648-5780.