Fort Defiance

Fort Defiance is a historic military installation in Clarksville, Tennessee, built on a limestone bluff with views overlooking the Cumberland and Red Rivers. Today the site contains administrative buildings from the 1930s that house various government offices.

The fort was established in 1851 by Colonel Edwin V. Sumner as a military outpost during conflicts with Native American tribes. During the Civil War era it was abandoned and rebuilt multiple times, including a temporary name change.

The fort became a meeting place between military authorities and the Navajo community over time. Educational facilities developed there that served generations of students from the surrounding region.

The grounds are mostly open to visitors and offer good views of the historic structures and river landscape. It helps to allow enough time to explore the buildings and surroundings at a leisurely pace.

The fort was briefly known as Fort Canby and traces of this name change remain in historical records. This chapter reveals how much the location shifted during wartime upheaval.